What Times May Bring
by Tabytha
Summary: Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny set off to live in a muggle neighborhood for a week. They go through trials and tribulations all while having a not-so friendly person breathing down their necks. Chapter 17 now up!
1. Thinking is believing: Day 1

Chapter 1- Day 1  
  
_Disclaimer I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They belong to the great JKR whom I am not. Thought you should know._

Everyone was looking around in confusion as to why they had been called. Hermione didn't mind though. She loved it at The Burrow where everything was so... so relaxing. She glanced at Ron as she though, 'I wonder why he hates it so much here. I wouldn't mind living here.'  
  
Mrs. Weasley sat on her chair and faced the Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Fred, George, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Ginny.  
  
"Mum, I swear the rockets were George!" said Fred jabbing a finger at George.  
  
"Don't worry, Fred, you did nothing wrong. It's just that the Grangers and I feel you need to know how to survive with out magic..."  
  
"That's rubbish, mum." Said Fred getting up to leave. Just then, Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand and Fred fell to the ground.  
  
"I don't care what you think is rubbish. Today, we're leaving to drop you off in a muggle neighborhood for a week." Mrs. Weasley then got up and left so if anyone was upset, she wasn't around to here it,  
  
"A week? Blimey! 'Mione, can you help me?" said Ron.  
  
"Ron, you're hopeless," she said and then got up to help Mrs. Weasley clear dinner. Taking her lead, Ginny, Fred, and George got up too. But Ron was eager to talk to Harry.  
  
"Harry, what did I do that was so hopeless?" he wondered as he glanced toward Hermione. "Mental, that one is." He added to let Harry know he wasn't looking for an answer. "And please mate, no snogging my sister in front of me. Or anywhere."  
  
"I'll try mate." Said Harry.  
  
"You'll try?!?!? What do you mean you'll try?!?" Ron said without bothering to hide the anger in his voice. But before Harry had a chance to answer, their trunks appeared fully packed and Mrs. Weasley began lining them all up my the fireplace.  
  
"I swear Harry Potter, if you lay one finger on my sister..." said Ron while heading to the fireplace. He took a handful of Floo powder before finishing his sentence, "...you'll rethink the title, 'The Boy-Who-Lived'." Then it struck Ron he didn't know where he was going. "Hey, mum..." but George jumped into the fireplace and shouted, "Mueshke Village!" And they were off.  
  
Everyone was settled in their own room. They were staying in a pretty big house, with rooms for each one of them.  
  
"Well, muggle life ain't half bad." Said Ron as he put his feet up by the fire.  
  
"Because I've done everything so far!" said Hermione. Her frizzy brown hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She was wearing a faded t-shirt and jeans.  
  
"Well, you're looking nice today 'Mione." Said Ron, laughing at his own joke.  
  
"Shut up, Ron!" said Hermione punching him on the arm. She kicked the footstoold from underneath Ron and watched for his reaction.  
  
"Thanks 'Mione. You just reminded me it's time for bed." He said with a smirk across his face. He wandered down the hall and went into the first room to the left, Ginny's room. "Damn! Harry! What do you think you're doing to Ginny? You're snoggling her on the couch!" said Ron pulling Harry up by the shirt and away from Ginny.  
  
"Ron, calm down. I invited him." Said Ginny sitting Harry back down on the couch.  
  
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" said Ron pulling Harry back up and out of the room. After Ron had closed the door he turned to face Harry.  
  
"Now, before you say anything Ron. It's not my fault you haven't told Hermione yet."  
  
"Told me what?" said Hermione appearing from behind Harry.  
  
"Damn, Harry! Shut up!" he said shoving Harry.  
  
"Ron, don't say those words." She said.  
  
"I'll leave you two alone." Said Harry slinking into his room which was across from Ginny's room.  
  
"I'm tired 'Mione. Can't I just go to bed?" said Ron groggily rubbing his eyes.  
  
Hermione froze for a moment. She realized how cute Ron was when he was tired. No, not cute, more sexy. His auburn hair was a bit ruffled and his robe was more than slightly opened revealing some of his chest. 'NO!' Hermione thought to herself. Why was she thinking of Ron like that? Wasn't Ron one of her best friends?  
  
"Yeah, sure." Said Hermione, dropping it without a fight. She shook her head to shake off any thoughts of "Sexy Ron"It was about midnight, Ron guessed. He quietly made his way down the hall. He stops at Fred's open door. Sarah, Fred's girlfriend is in there with him. Ron trudged down the dim hallway until he got to the living room. He stopped before coming in. Hermione was fast asleep on the chair by the fireplace.  
  
Ron picked her up and carried her to her room. Ron looked down at Hermione, lying in his arms. He noticed how beautiful she was. He pulled a stray strand of hair away from her face. As he lay her onto her bed, she woke up.  
  
"Ron?" she managed to say before falling back asleep. Ron took one last look at Hermione  
  
"Good night," he said as he closed the door behind him.  
  
_Sorry it was kind of boring but I had to set up the scene. I promise the next one will be better. PLEASE REVIEW! Because there's no point in going on without any reviews..._


	2. Fight and Consequences: Day 2

** Chapter 2- Day 2**  
  
_Disclaimer I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They belong to the great JKR whom I am not. Thought you should know. Except Sara and Elizabeth, you I created.  
A/N Just so you know, Sarah is with Fred and Elizabeth is with George._

Hermione rubbed her eyes as she slowly lifted her head off her pillow. She glanced over at her alarm clock on the night stand. It read 7:00 am. As she quickly did the math in her head, she figured she could have at least another half hour of sleep. She laid her head down groggily and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, a flash of light coming from the direction of Fred's room jarred Hermione awake.  
  
She slipped her feet into her favorite pair of lavender slippers and headed towards Fred's room. She felt her jaw drop when she saw no one in the room, but instead a neatly written note lying on the floor in the middle of the room. Hermione crept into the room and carefully picked up the note.  
  
_Hermione _

_Fred, George, Sarah, and Elizabeth have used magic. No surprise there. They're here now and are waiting to be scolded by Arthur. Best of luck! Only 6 more days! _

_Love, Mrs. Weasley_  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and crumpled up the note. She would tell the rest later. She walked absent- mindedly into the kitchen, wondering what spells Fred and George might have used. And of course anyone that dates the twins would use magic. She was amazed at how long they actually lasted. Maybe they would lose their apparating license. Could they do that? This wasn't a school project...  
  
Hermione was engulfed in thoughts like this that the sudden "OW!" nearly scared Hermione out of her pajamas.  
  
"Bloody hell, Hermione! What's wrong with you?" She saw Ron rubbing his foot, his eyes flaring.  
  
"S-Sorry Ron. I wasn't really paying attention. You see, Fred, George and their girlfriends got sent back home for using magic and..." She risked a glance in Ron's direction. She could tell he didn't care about what she was saying. All he was really looking for was an apology. She shut her mouth and headed towards the pantry. Ron's voice crept in after her.  
  
"Harry's out getting the mail and Ginny's still asleep." He said as if it was the biggest news he had to tell. After thinking about it, Hermione figured it was the biggest news he had to tell. She pulled out a box of cereal and set it on the counter. She concentrated on the label until getting enough courage to head towards Ron.  
  
She looked at the floor as she talked, "How's your foot, Ron?" she said. She didn't want to look at him until she was sure he was over the foot incident.  
  
"Fine. Don't worry about it 'Mione. I'm just tired..." Ron stopped abruptly. Hermione knew why he was tired. She risked a glance towards Ron. He was looking at the floor and if she looked close enough, she could see that he was blushing. Hermione felt her own cheeks heat up and she returned back to her cereal box. But suddenly, her appetite was gone.  
  
She was surprisingly grateful to Harry when he opened the door carrying the mail. "Anything interesting?" asked Hermione, her gaze never leaving the box, her voice sounded fragile.  
  
"No." He said obviously not picking up on the awkwardness that was only too abundant in the air. Harry set the mail down on the table before looking up with a mischievous look in his eye.  
  
"So...What was the late night thing with you two yesterday?" he asked. Suddenly, Hermione felt like strangling Harry.  
  
"Who bought this cereal?" asked Hermione, her voice shaking. Harry walked over to her and turned her around so that her back was now to the cereal box.  
  
"Sorry if I had bad timing." He whispered as though he finally understood what he had missed. Hermione simply nodded her head and turned back around. She poured her cereal into the bowl and grabbed the milk. After what seemed to take forever, Hermione shyly walked over to the table and sat as far away from Ron as possible.  
  
But right after she sat down she felt completely stupid. Ron seemed completely over whatever happened last night. To her surprise, a bit disappointed that Ron could just shrug it off.  
  
The appearance of Ginny in the doorway pepped everyone up a bit. Ron glanced at Harry who was now grinning widely.  
  
"Oy, mate. What's there to be so happy about?" asked Ron heading towards Harry.  
  
"Oh, Ron. Just because you have nothing better to do, lay off Harry and Ginny. Because I know how annoying it is. When I was go out with Viktor..."but Hermione didn't get to finish her sentence.  
  
"First off, Harry and Ginny are not dating. Otherwise I would know--" Ron said glancing fiercely at Harry. "—and please. No one cares about you and _Viktor_.  
  
"Oh, Ron! What am I always doing? Forgive me for being happy every once in a while. Everything has to be Ron's way..."  
  
Harry and Ginny slunk out of the room but Ron and Hermione were to engulfed in their fight to notice. Suddenly, the anger in Hermione died down. She looked at Ron. He looked kind of—cute when he was mad. His red hair was messed up and it looked even redder than ever. His eyes were flaming and his hands were big. She thought that she could be very happy in Ron's safe big hands.  
  
She suddenly remembered she was supposed to be mad.  
  
"...So Ronald Weasley, SHUT IT!"  
  
"I'm warning you Hermione. I am sick of you and your 'perfect' life. So if you could leave the more simpler people alone..."  
  
Hermione whipped out her Ron and pointed it straight at Ron. Ron gaped in astonishment and then drew out his wand. What happened next shocked Ron more than anything that had just happened. When his wand was pointed at Hermione, he knew that he could never hurt her. Somehow, he felt if she hurt, so would he.  
  
Hermione's wand arm faltered as a thought flashed into her head. She didn't want to hurt Ron. She just wanted to prove a point. But this whole Victor thing was getting on her last nerve...

_Don't worry. I know I didn't complete the day, that it's only breakfast, but I'll make a Pt. 2 for Day 2. Please Review!! And thank you so much for reviewing! But if there aren't any reviews than... a/n What Times May Bring is my first fic. _


	3. Mirroring the Truth: Day 2B

**Day 2 B  
**  
_Disclaimer I'm not JK Rowling. small sob so that means I don't own any of the HP characters  
  
A/N They're not embarrassed about the fact that Ron carried Hermione up to bed. What I tried to do (This is my first fic and thank you TiggerLily130 for being the first to mention this) was make it seem that Ron and Hermione were in their own little world and that Harry and Ginny had somehow "read their minds". Kind of like, figured out that Hermione thought Ron was sexy etc._

__   
  
Hermione hastily stuffed her wand back into her pocket. She glared at Ron to let him know that the fight wasn't over.  
  
"You know what? I'm going to go for a walk." Said Ron as he slammed his wand against the floor. He opened the door and stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Hermione wasn't very stunned. She turned towards the hall and increased the intensity of her glare. She knew Harry and Ginny were watching. Hermione picked up Ron's wand and set it on the table. She hadn't meant to make Ron that mad. She just wanted him to understand for once.  
  
"A-Are you okay, Hermione?" asked a nervous Ginny who was carefully creeping into the room. She looked scared and timid, a look Ginny didn't wear often. Suddenly, Hermione was angry at herself for being rude to Ginny. Ginny hadn't really done anything.  
  
"Yeah." Replied a worn-out Hermione. She sat down on a chair and put her head in her hands. Not even 2 hours into the day and they had already had their first argument.  
  
"Harry-"called out Hermione. She knew Harry was listening in the hallway, even if he was out of view. "-go get Ron before he gets lost." She said. Hermione was able to get over some fights quicker than others. She had let this argument over Viktor go but only because she was too tired to keep arguing. She glanced over towards the hallway and to her amazement, saw that Harry had not been listening.  
  
"Ginny, where's Harry?" asked Hermione. She looked around to kitchen to see that Ginny had left. Hermione had been so caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed. She had a tendency of doing that. Hermione looked at her cereal bowl. She picked it up and dropped it in the sink. She headed towards her bedroom to get dressed and ready.  
  
She picked out a denim skirt and a pale rose top. She got to her bathroom and looked into the mirror. She felt her mouth drop in dismay. She looked horrible in her opinion. Her hair was sticking up in a million directions and her face still held the "groggy" look. She suddenly remembered why she hated mirrors. They were too honest. Hermione knew that sometimes people used her honesty as a mirror. But she didn't like mirrors because they always seemed to tell Hermione that she looked terrible. There was a timid knock at the door.  
  
"Ron's back." Came the voice of an unsure Ginny.  
  
"Like I care." Hermione snapped back, her anger directed at the messenger. She regretted the vile in her words. She had meant for Ron to hear her anger, not Ginny. "Ginny, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you." Said Hermione quickly offering an explanation for her behavior.  
  
"I know." Said Ginny but by the sound of her voice, Hermione could tell Ginny had not known.Ron stood in front of Harry's door anxiously. He was listening to what Ginny was saying but it annoyed him that he couldn't hear what Hermione was saying. Ron knocked on Harry's door as he saw Ginny turn and head for the kitchen.  
  
"Come in." came Harry's voice. Ron opened the door and collapsed on Harry's bed. "Tough walk I see." Said Harry jokingly.  
  
"We—We fought again." Said Ron even though they both knew Harry had heard.  
  
"I, I know." Said Harry, unsure in which direction this conversation was heading. He could see Ron wanted to talk but not about any fights. "Um.. Ron. Could you try to be a bit more understanding of what Hermione's going through?"  
  
"What is poor Hermione going through?" said Ron sarcastically casting a 'let's drop it' look towards Harry.  
  
"You know what, mate? I'm actually rather hungry." Said Harry opening the door and heading off towards the kitchen.  
  
"Morning, 'Mione!" said a rather happy Harry as he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Morning, Harry." She replied even though it wasn't the first time she had seen him that day. "Where's Ginny?" asked Hermione, hoping for a chance to talk to her.  
  
"Her room." Said Harry with a mischievous smile. She was glad Ron wasn't in the room right then. Because if he was, he would have strangled Harry.  
  
Hermione got up feeling slightly better than before and headed off towards the parlor room. She stopped in the doorway. It took what seemed like hours to find her voice but once she did, all she managed to say was, "Hey, Ron."  
  
Ron looked up surprised. "Hi." Said Ron irritably as he turned to look out the window. Hermione felt terribly alone. She thought Ron was overreacting but she didn't tell him. She didn't want to get into another fight.  
  
"I was sure you would have apparated to Bulgaria by now to see Vicky." Said Ron grumpily. Hermione hadn't wanted to start another fight but apparently Ron wasn't going to let this one slide.  
  
"The minute this week is over, that's the first thing I'm going to do!" yelled Hermione, her eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be the chairperson for your Going-Away party." Replied Ron, his eyes holding the same anger as hers. But for some inexplicable reason, Hermione was hurt by this last comment. But she wasn't going to let Ron win.  
  
"I like vanilla." Said Hermione, with a huge amount of anger and hatred in her words. It even astounded Hermione herself. With that Ron stormed out of the room leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts. She had meant to apologize but something had gone terribly wrong. It was Ron's fault, she concluded.Ron headed back out the door. But this time, the door opened after him. He turned to see Harry hastily tying his shoes and running after Ron.  
  
"What the bloody hell do you want?" asked Ron. He regretted the way he had greeted his friend. After all, Hermione was the culprit here, not Harry.  
  
"Got in another row with Hermione." Said Harry. But it wasn't a question, it was a statement. 'The whole neighborhood probably knew. They had practically yelled at the top of their lungs.' Though Ron miserably.  
  
Harry, for one, had grown used to the fights over Viktor. It had been 3 years that Ron had been angry at Hermione. This thought occurred to Ron, too.  
  
'Why do I always rag on Hermione about Viktor?' asked Ron, taking a second to examine the day. 'No, it didn't start today. It started—' Ron thought hard about when all this had started. 'The Yule Ball' said Ron. 3, no more like 4 since they were graduating, years ago. 'But why—' pondered Ron silently to himself. Unfortunately, Ron was concentrating too hard that he ran into a mailbox.  
  
"Ron! Are you okay?" asked Harry. Ron had run into a mailbox, fallen backwards and hit his head on the cement sidewalk.  
  
"H-H-Harry?" asked Ron. He felt disorientated and incredibly dizzy.  
  
"I'm going to get Hermione and Ginny." Said Harry, getting up and running off in the direction of the house. Ron's eyes shot around nervously. 'Harry isn't going to really leave me here lying on the sidewalk.' Thought Ron but by the sound of footsteps becoming more distant, Harry was.  
  
Ron tried to get up but when he did, his left leg stung horribly. His head hurt too much to lift so he couldn't tell if his legs were broken or if they were bleeding or bruised. Ron hoped no muggle would come by and sees me lying on the sidewalk. Ron wished he could use magic.  
  
Ron closed his eyes and tried to relax. 'Who knew a muggle box could be so violent?' thought Ron to himself, laughing at his own joke. He heard footsteps approach him. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see Hermione bending over him.  
  
"Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry." Said Hermione, gently stroking his hair. Apparently, she had run ahead of the others. Ron loved the sympathy he was getting from Hermione so he played the part of a seriously injured person. Which wasn't too hard, since his head was bleeding, his legs were bleeding, and his arms were scraped.  
  
"For what?" asked Ron, gazing into Hermione's eyes. They were the color of the chocolate he loved so much. He felt a lot better just by gazing into her eyes. 'I thought we weren't allowed to use magic.' Thought Ron, referring to the fact that her gaze made him feel 100 times better.  
  
"For yelling at you like--like..." Hermione began.  
  
"No, 'Mione, I'm sorry." Ron said, still unable to take his gaze off of her eyes. 'Ginny and Harry are probably snogging on the couch.' Thought Ron as he unconsciously made a fist. Apparently, Hermione could see Ron's fists.  
  
"Ssh...Ron, calm down. Ginny and Harry are tending the garden." She said in a soothing tone. Ron didn't mind that, it was the fact his sister was "tending a garden" while Ron was lying in the middle of a sidewalk. "Now tell me where it hurts." Said Hermione in a gentle tone.  
  
But before Ron could answer, a scream scared Ron out of his wits. "Oh, my gosh! Are you okay?" The next thing Ron knew a wet nose was on his face. He shoved it away and saw a bundle of red, curly -but not frizzy- hair. A girl pulled her cocker spaniel away from Ron and bent down to be face- to - face with Ron.  
  
Ron was speechless. This girl was beautiful. He almost forgot Hermione on his other side.Hermione stared menacingly at the girl looking at Ron. "Excuse me? Who are you?" asked Hermione with a hint of jealousy in her voice. Why was she jealous. Ron needed a girl. Hermione just didn't think this girl was the one.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Amy. Amy Garner."  
  
'So this girl is clearly American and has red hair. She's a dog lover. Poor Crookshanks.' Hermione was slowly piecing together the facts she knew about Amy Garner. She glanced at Ron to see how he reacted to the dog. Ron wasn't a fan of dogs. To her horrible dismay, Ron looked entranced by Amy. She looked over to Amy. She soon realized the feeling was mutual.  
  
"Well, Ron, we need to get you home." Said Hermione wickedly.  
  
"Oh, I don't think I caught your name." said Amy politely, not picking up on Hermione's anger.  
  
"Hermione Granger and this is Ronald Weasley." She sad motioning at Ron. Hermione felt a reckless urge spreading through her. "We're living together." Said Hermione, a wicked smirk spreading on her face.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione completely hated herself. Why was she doing this?  
  
"Uh- Amy. What I meant was we're here on a school project." She said apologetically. Amy looked relieved and allowed herself to look back at Ron. Hermione watched the two and felt suddenly alone.  
  
"Hi, Amy." Said Ron.  
  
"Hey, Ron." Replied Amy in the same tone.  
  
"We better get going." Said Hermione. "But you're welcome to come with us." She added to make up for the things she had said earlier.  
  
Together, Amy and Hermione helped Ron up and without saying another word, the trio made it home.  
  
"Thanks, Amy." Ron said.  
  
"You can come inside if you like." Said Hermione, hoping that Harry wasn't doing anything, un-muggle-like, in the entry or parlor room.  
  
"Actually, I should be getting home. But if it's not imposing, I'll come back tomorrow morning." Said Amy in an unsure tone.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Said Hermione, plastering a smile on her face. She helped Ron in and put him on the couch.  
  
"Hey, Hermione..."  
  
_Dun-dun-dun. I just felt like leaving you guys hanging. LOL! I promise to update soon. I'll make a deal with you guys. The more reviews I get, The faster the update will come. I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is after DAY 7, What Times May Bring is over. The good news is a second installment will be added with a different plot but same characters. In other words, it's a sequel. I'll keep you posted. THANKS FOR READING!_


	4. A Hidden Truth: Day 2C

** Chapter 4- Day 2C**  
  
_AN- Sorry about not updating. I've been away at camp and they didn't have any computers but thank you to all my faithful readers you didn't ditch me after I hadn't updated in a week. My computer is being bad so it won't let me fix the format problems with the last two chapters. I promise I'll try to fix that. So here goes!  
  
Disclaimer Let's face it. I'm not JK Rowling. I own nothing. Except Amy. The song in here is called um... I don't know but it's #4 on the Shrek soundtrack. But I promise, for the most part, this series won't be a song fic._

"What?!" Hermione snapped as she whirled around to face Ron. She could tell he had lost some of his self-confidence.  
  
"About...about...Amy..."  
  
"What about Amy?" snarled Hermione. "Would you like to start off with the fact that she's a muggle? And one with a dog no less."  
  
"Hey! I like dogs." Interjected Ron.  
  
"Shut up! You told me you hated cats and dogs when I asked why you didn't like Crookshanks..."  
  
"That cat was from hell..."  
  
"Oh! Stick up for Amy why don't you?" said Hermione. Tears were threatening to fall but she didn't know why. She knew it didn't have much to do with Crookshanks. She ruled out jealousy. Why should she be jealous of Amy?  
  
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Hermione?!" shouted Ron with all the anger he could muster. "You're the one that said we all have the right to like whoever we want." Snarled Ron.  
  
'Yeah, but that didn't mean it applied to you, too.' Thought Hermione. The tears in her eyes began to well. She would not cry in front of Ron. She turned out of her heel and swept out of the room.  
  
Ron's expression shifted from anger to shock. Hermione hadn't responded to his last comment. He felt bad for making Hermione cry again. 'I have a knack for doing that.' He thought bitterly to himself. He was just about to fall asleep when he heard something.  
  
It was a voice. Singing. Ron's ears perked up. He tried to get up but it hurt. He pulled himself up with whatever energy he had left. He bit his lip in order not to scream. He didn't want the voice to end. He carefully made his way down the hall. The voice was angelic and hypostasizing. He abruptly stopped in front of Hermione's door. There was a small crack in which he could look in through.  
  
Hermione had put in a muggle CD. She knew how to work a CD player but her fingers were trembling with anger. She needed to blow off steam so she did something she didn't do often, she sang. In her opinion, she was a horrible singer but then again, no one else had ever heard her sing/  
  
_There is something that I see, In the way you look at me  
  
There's a smile there, a truth in your eyes  
  
What an unexpected way, on this unexpected day  
  
Could it be, this is where I belong?  
  
It is you I have loved all along  
  
And no more mystery, it is finally clear to me  
  
You're the hope my heart searched for, so long  
  
And it is you I have loved all along  
_  
When Hermione sang, she sang. She didn't think about anything else. Otherwise, she would have noticed the boy looking at her through the crack on the door.  
  
Ron was slightly shocked by two points. 'Why is Hermione singing this. Maybe, the lyrics...' but Ron shrugged off that thought. What surprised him the most was her singing. He had never heard anything like this before. He was scared to breathe, for fear it might end.  
  
_There were times I ran to hide, 'fraid to show the other side  
  
Alone in the night without you  
  
But now I know just who you are  
  
And I know you hold my heart  
  
Finally, this is where I belong  
  
It is you I have loved all along And no more mystery, it is finally clear to me  
  
You're the hope the heart my heart searched for so long  
  
And it is you I have loved all along  
_  
Ron didn't dare let his eyes look anywhere but at Hermione. He didn't let his ears hear anything but her singing. He was entranced.  
  
_Oh, over and over, I'm filled with emotion  
  
And I am filled with the sweetest devotion  
  
As I look into your precious face  
  
And no more my...  
_  
Ron felt like a total... a total...  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" screamed Hermione, drowning out the music. It was the first time he had ever heard Hermione cuss.  
  
"I was just seeing if you're okay." Ron's tone quickly shifted from meekness to anger. "But apparently, you have a love song to sing to Vicky."  
  
"See?! There you go again! You have Amy know so can't you just..."  
  
"I have Amy?!? I see her for 10 seconds and I suddenly have her?!" screamed Ron. "Not all of us are as desperate as you Hermione." She hated the way he used her name just then. He said it with such anger.  
  
"She's coming over in the morning, I'll make sure to make the beds afterwards." Hermione and Ron were walking a fine line.  
  
"Oh, you would know. I hear you and Vicky need a whole house. And how many times have you done it? 60? With 60 different guys. That's no surprise... they must be crazy..." Ron suddenly stopped. He had crossed the line.  
  
Hermione whipped out her wand and Ron quickly followed suit. "You wouldn't dare." Snarled Ron. The two were so caught up in anger, they didn't take notice to Harry and Ginny, standing at the crack where Ron had been, watching the drama unfold.  
  
"I would. Ron you have just... just..." Hermione gave in to anger. "_Avada Ke--"_ Ron stated in time with Hermione. Harry and Ginny burst into the room. They didn't have to though. Hermione would never hurt Ron. But little did she know Ron was thinking the same thing. Overwhelmed by emotion, Hermione ran out of the room in tears.  
  
Ron wasn't doing so good either. He was crimson and his eyes were tired. Ginny went out after Hermione. Harry could sense that Ron needed to be alone so he left.  
  
Hermione found herself on the dark sidewalk. She was kicking herself. 'Ron thinks I'm a complete mental.' Said Hermione through silent tears. She could never match up to Amy. Amy had never threatened to kill Ron. 'Well, he was definitely no gentleman either.' Said a small voice in her head.  
  
Hermione kicked a can as she walked. Ginny would be out looking for her by now. Hermione didn't want to be found. She turned around, walked home and entered through the back door. She gasped to see that Ginny hadn't gone to look for her. Suddenly, being in the house made Hermione cry again. She ran to her room and slammed the door. She collapsed on her bed and fell asleep.  
  
Ron was pacing back and forth in his room. Why had he done that? Amy was coming soon. It was already 11:30 pm. Ron wanted to apologize to Hermione but he knew it wasn't going to be simple. He had threatened to kill her, so he would have to do something... something. He racked his brain but after the night's events, he found himself as being incapable of thought.  
  
Ron couldn't stand it. He needed to do something. Anything. He found his hands wandering to a framed photo of the three of them. 'This is going to be a long week.' Thought Ron, and somehow he knew, no matter how much he liked her, Amy wasn't going to make it easier to bear.  
  
'Amy would have never threatened to kill me.' Even though he only knew her for about 10 seconds, she seemed reasonable enough. And she could control her temper. Maybe. He would have to spend more time with her to find out. He sat on his bed. He needed comfort. Pig was still out and he knew that Harry and Ginny were unavailable. Hopefully sleeping. In separate beds. In different rooms.  
  
He laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes. He would come up with some way to make it up to Hermione. He would get to know Amy. And he would try to get a restraining order for Harry requiring him to stay at least 300 meters from Ginny at all times. He added as an afterthought. He chuckled slightly at his own joke and let sleep overcome him.  
  
_A/N So that's the end of Day 2. Was it worth the wait? Please R/R. If I don't get at least 3 reviews, no more chapters. And recommend this story to people. Please. And please no flames, if you don't like it, don't read it. And thanks again to all my faithful readers! Sorry if this chapter isn't that good. It's late. Anyways, the fic series that will be the sequel to this is called ...I'll tell you late. Thanks for reading! _

_Tabytha_


	5. Pale dawn of a new day: Day 3

**Chapter 5- Day 3**  
  
_Disclaimer I own absolutely nothing. Okay, so I own Amy, Elizabeth, and Sarah. But I don't own anything else. It all belongs to the most brilliant JK Rowling.  
  
A/N Sorry it took so long. I just had to plan out how I wanted the story to go. And I had so many different ideas for this chapie. This is like the final version out of 5 tries. If you want the other ideas I had and in some cases, the actual chap, email me at llamainthedeliyahoo.com . What's a beta reader? And how do I get one?_

_  
_  
Hermione awoke the next morning rather cheerful. She got out of bed and fumbled through her dresser for a pair of decent clothes. Suddenly, she remembered she was supposed to be mad at Ron. She plucked out a faded shirt she had gotten last year and a denim skirt. She headed over to the bathroom. She washed her face and as she was splashing water onto it, she happened to glance in the mirror. Needless to say, Hermione did not like what she saw.  
  
She looked worn- out and her frizzy brown hair was all over the place. She stepped into the shower and turned out the cold water. She hoped that the water would wash away any self-conscious thoughts.  
  
She stepped out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed. She put on her clothes and added a matching belt for decoration. She didn't need to dress up today. It's not as if anyone was comin---Amy. Hermione frantically got out a brush and combed her hair. She was nothing compared to Amy.  
  
She walked out defeated towards the kitchen.  
  
Ron groggily awoke. He opened his eyes just enough to see the clock. 7:49. Ron figured he could fit in another 2 hours if Hermione was in a good mood. He closed his eyes just long enough for him to realize he had a meeting with Amy this morning. Actually, not just him, but he figured it would somehow end up just him.  
  
He awoke first groggily but a few minutes later it hit him. He had a date. He jerked up and searched frantically through his dresser, looking for something impressive to wear. He through clothes onto his bed as he searched for something that would impress Amy.  
  
'Nothing. NOTHING! Figures. How was I supposed to know this was going to happen.' Thought Ron to himself as he headed towards Harry's room. Harry had to have something.  
  
Hermione cheerfully cracked eggs and placed them in the pan. It was the least she could do. The breakfast was almost complete. Hermione had conjured up the best muggle breakfast she could. She had laid the orange juice directly across from each other. She had carefully placed the food neatly on the china plates and added a parsley for decoration.  
  
She folded up the napkins in the best design she could. It was times like these when Hermione was glad her parents were muggle. Her mom had taught her this about 2 years ago.  
  
She laid a rose across Amy's chair that she had picked from the garden. Hermione and Ginny were planning on working in the garden today. Who knew what Harry was going to do, but he had been warned not to come into the house. At all.  
  
Hermione perched herself on the edge of the couch and waited for Ron.  
  
"Blimey! Mate, I need to borrow something to wear!" yelled Ron.  
  
Harry stirred from his sleep and looked at Ron through half-asleep eyes. "S, Sure mate." Said Harry before closing his eyes once more.  
  
Ron tore through Harry's dresser at an even faster pace. He became contented when he found a white, button-up shirt and some khaki pants. Without another word to Harry, Ron headed to the bathroom to get ready.  
  
Hermione wrung her hands impatiently. 'Where is Ron? Amy's going to be here at any time.' She got up and began pacing around the room. The same thoughts repeating themselves in her mind. The heavy footsteps of Ron jerked her back to reality.  
  
"Ron! There you are, I..." stated Hermione as she reached out for a good morning hug. But her arms were half way up when the doorbell rang.  
  
"I better go." Said Ron heading to answer the door. And without a second glance towards Hermione, he went off to answer the door without saying good morning at all.  
  
Ron was too stressed to do anything. His hands were sweating and he was sure he was flushed. He was distracted by the smallest movement or sound. He heard the doorbell ring and headed off. He was sure Hermione wanted to leave anyways.  
  
Hermione slunk out the back as Ron opened the door. It would be mortifying for Ron if Amy had come in when they were hugging. She might get the wrong idea and... Hermione was shocked when she crashed into the back door. She opened the door as quietly as she could. She slipped her thin body through the crack and shut the door gently behind her.  
  
Ron opened the door to see the bright-eyed Amy staring at him.  
  
"Hey!" said Amy as she bustled through the door. She looked down-right adorable. She was in a pink sundress with flowers embroided on the hem. Her hair was tied back into braids and under control. Her lips shimmered and for a minute, Ron was speechless.  
  
"H...H...Hi, Amy. Good to see you!"  
  
"It's good to see you, too, Ron!"  
  
"H...Have a seat." He said as he pulled out a chair for her.  
  
"Oh, Ron." Said Amy as she gently picked up the rose that had been lying in her chair.  
  
Ron was taken aback by this. After all, Hermione had put it there. She knew him all to well. Ron wouldn't have had enough courage to do something like that. He watched as Amy sat herself down and he quickly followed suit.  
  
Hermione carefully replanted the flowers. She glanced up towards the giant window in the center of the kitchen. Amy had found the rose. Hermione felt herself smirk. She looked towards where Ginny was supposed to be. Hermione turned her head towards the garden bench. Ginny was there with Harry. Although she couldn't hear them clearly, she knew they were flirting. Harry was messing with Ginny's hair while Ginny whispered things into his ear. They looked so cute together.  
  
Hermione's eyes ended up back on the window. She looked at Amy. Ron liked her, and what could she do? Hermione glanced at her own dirty hands then at Amy's manicure. She couldn't help looking like this was worse than a mirror. She had become her own mirror, and she had become brutally honest towards herself. Now was no exception.  
  
Ron nervously took his seat across from Amy.  
  
"I...I hope you like the breakfast."  
  
"Oh, Ron, I love it. It was so nice of you to go through all this trouble."  
  
Ron looked guiltily down at the meal. He didn't have the courage to tell her who had actually made it. He felt flushed, but he hoped he didn't look it. Had he thanked Hermione for the breakfast this morning? Yes, he had. He thought to himself. If he did, it was a but foggy in his memory.  
  
He watched as Amy gingerly picked up her fork and poised it above the fruit cup. "Ron?"  
  
"Yeah?" he said, having been snapped back to reality.  
  
"How long are you here for?" said Amy wearing a tone he wasn't used to. It was, uncertainty maybe. But it was also some curiosity. He decided to label it Amy.  
  
"'Bout 4 more days." Said Ron, never taking his eyes off the bacon.  
  
"Oh, what a shame." Said Amy. Ron dared a glance in her direction. Their eyes locked.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Said Ron, quickly averting his gaze. He feared Amy had seen this but he couldn't meet her gaze.  
  
"So, where are you from?" replied Amy as she stabbed a strawberry with her fork.  
  
Ron was rather unsure on how to answer this question. He glanced around the room anxiously, looking for a change of subject.  
  
"Uh...er..."  
  
Hermione was pleased with the transfer from the pot to the garden. She stood up to admire her work. Unfortunately, her eyes traveled to the window once more. She looked closely at Ron. His face was flushed and he was stammering. He was staring at the egg. 'It wasn't that interesting.' Hermione thought to herself.  
  
She carefully walked to the back door and opened it just a crack. Harry and Ginny wouldn't notice. They were too caught up in a world of their own.  
  
'All I hear is Ron stammering.' Thought Hermione urgently to herself. Assuming the worst, Hermione walked purposefully into the kitchen to rinse her hands.  
  
"Oh, Hi! What was your name..." said Amy as politely as she could.  
  
"Hermione. I just came in here to wash my hands." Said Hermoine, gesturing towards the dirt coming off her hands. She saw Amy grimace, but was sure that Ron hadn't.  
  
Ron mouthed a thank you to Hermione as she walked out of the door and back to the garden.  
  
"So... what were we talking about?" asked Amy pleasantly.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Oh, yes! This amazing breakfast! Ron, where did you learn all this?" asked Amy, pointing to the variety of food.  
  
Ron tried not to let his mouth fall open. On the table was almost every food group. And she thought Ron had made this. 'Maybe she is mad.'  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Oh, Ron! It's 10. I better get going. I've had a great time." Said Amy flinging her arms around Ron and engulfing him in a friendly hug. Ron didn't know what to do so he hugged back.  
  
"Would you like to come back tomorrow?" asked Ron, all while studying his shoes.  
  
"I would love too."  
  
And with that Ron escorted Amy out.  
  
Hermione watched as Amy hugged Ron. It had taken her years before she hugged Ron like that and Amy had done it in less than a day. Hermione unknowingly rose to her feet. Apparently, this attracted some attention from Harry and Ginny.  
  
But Hermione didn't care. She watched in awe as Ron escorted her out the door. 'He hardly does that to me.' Thought Hermione and for the umpteenth time today, she had to quash the thought that she was jealous of Amy because she wasn't. It was just surprising was all.  
  
Ron briefly thought about going to the garden to tell Harry the details. Not that there was much to tell but surely Harry would be curious. He was just inches away from the back door when he decided against it. 'Hermione might not want to hear this.' Thought Ron as he steered himself towards his room.  
  
Ron threw himself onto his messy, unmade bed and let thoughts come into his head. 'I'm going to see Amy again tomorrow and what if she asks me that question. What do I say? And how did Hermione know I needed help. Now I really have to make it up to her.'  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." shouted Ron, not wanting to get off the bed.  
  
Harry came in and settled in the lounge chair near the foot of the bed. "So, mate. How did it go? Spill it all."  
  
"Well, it was going great, you know? She looked really good. But then she asked me where I was from and I didn't know what to say. Luckily, 'Mione came in and interrupted her and then Amy forgot what she was saying."  
  
He glance over at Harry to make sure he was still listening. Harry was thinking.  
  
"Yeah, lucky you." Said Harry, who had been thinking, but about something else.  
  
"Uh, what did you do?"  
  
"I...er... I helped Ginny and Hermione in the garden."  
  
Ron looked at Harry's hands and clothes. Not as speck of dirt. Ron got a pretty good idea of what Harry had been doing.  
  
Hermione sat on the couch. She desperately wanted to know what had happened but she couldn't just ask Ron. She would have to wait for Ron to tell Harry who would tell Ginny who would then tell Hermione.  
  
'This could take a while. Maybe I could just ask Harry. But no, Ginny would be more understanding.' Hermione suddenly thought of something else. 'I can't blame Ron for liking Amy. There are people like Amy and Ginny and then there are people like, well, me.' Hermione stood up and walked to Ginny's room.  
  
"Ginny, can I come in?"  
  
"Sure, Hermione." Said Ginny opening the door. Hermione sat herself in a chair across from Ginny.  
  
"Ginny, has Harry told you anything?"  
  
"No, sorry Hermione." Said Ginny, placing her hand comfortingly on hers.  
  
"Oh, Gin. I don't know why I care so much."  
  
"Well, it's perfectly normal to be jealous...  
  
"Jealous?!"  
  
"What I mean, is that, you're naturally curious."  
  
Hermione stood up and began to pace impatiently around the room. There was a knock on the door. She watched as Ginny went to go get it.  
  
"Harry." Said Ginny flinging her arms around him. Hermione had to rid herself of this morning. "Harry, tell all." She said placing Harry where Hermione had sat just seconds before.  
  
"Well... he said it was going great and that she looked really good. But then she asked him where he was from and he didn't know what to say. Then, Hermione came in and saved the day." Said Harry turning to face Hermione.  
  
But Hermione didn't hear the last part. Ron had agreed she looked amazing. Hermione knew it and judging by what she had seen through the window, he was smitten with her. But the problem was, she liked him right back.  
  
Hermione quickly made up an excuse and walked to her room. On her way, she overheard Ron. He had written a letter and was proof-reading it aloud. He had already started and Hermione guessed he was halfway done.  
  
_"...and George, shut it! I don't like her like that. I like someone else." Hermione felt a smirk spread across her face. She quickly wiped it off. "This morning was great though and she looked downright amazing. I don't think I've ever met anyone like her."_  
  
Hermione felt tears pricked in her eyes. She went into the room and shut the door. She needed to figure what it was before she could seek comfort. And Hermione's eyes just happened to fall on the mirror.  
  
_A/N So that's it. It was 7 pages long. Was it worth the wait? Next chappie already in the works. _

_Tabytha_


	6. The Easy Way Out: Day 3B

**Chapter 6- Day 3B**  
  
_A/N Okay, I want to thank my awesome beta, MilesFromNormal, because sometimes, I type a bit fast and most of the time, I don't have time to go back and double check my work. And if you can, recommend this story to a few of your friends. Please?  
  
Disclaimer I don't own anything. Except Amy, Elizabeth and Sarah, but they don't really count. Oh, and the plot._  
  
Ron bent down to yet again edit the letter. Somehow, it wasn't coming out the way he wanted. He held it back up to read the new draft.  
  
_Dear Mum and Dad, (and probably Fred and George), Dad, living in a muggle neighborhood has been amazing. Well, some sort of muggle box took it's anger out on me, but it didn't hurt much. Hermione helped my bandage up all my cuts. How's everything going back at the Burrow? And 'Mione and Ginny have started a garden. I don't know how, but Hermione's a wicked gardener and shut it, George! I don't like her like that. She's my best mate. But this morning, she looked amazing. And Ginny of course. And 'Mione tried to kill me. And then she goes and makes a bloody good breakfast. I don't think I've met anyone like her. She' mental, most likely. We don't see much of Harry, though. But we've grown a bit used to it.  
  
Ron  
_  
Ron put the letter back on his desk. It was a bit long, but Ron felt he had said everything he needed to say. Which just happened to include nothing about Amy. He called Pig over and tied it to his leg. Half-shoving the poor bird out the window, the letter was off. The minute the letter was off, Ron regretted it. He had been unclear. No, wait, that's how he wanted it. The less Fred and George knew, the better.  
  
"No, no! This is all wrong! Ron can't fall for Amy, he's only known her for a day and..."  
  
A sudden knock at the door drew Hermione out of her deep state of thought.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Uh, Hermione? Are you okay? I was just in the hallway but I couldn't help overhearing some of your....uh..."  
  
"Oh, Gin! You heard that?"  
  
For this Ginny had no answer. She gazed at the mirror and Hermione hated her for it. 'How can Ginny look at herself in the mirror and...just... not care.' Thought Hermione.  
  
"I like Harry." Said Ginny abruptly, changing the subject.  
  
Hermione was a bit taken aback by this statement and managed to recover.  
  
"It's odd how when you look at someone else's love life, you can tell when someone likes them but when you're living it... you're just blind to it."  
  
Hermione stared at Ginny.  
  
"Ginny, what are you talking about?"  
  
Ginny continued as if Hermione hadn't said anything.  
  
"And you wonder why they aren't just straight-forward. But when it actually comes to your turn, you see that you can't do that. There's just too much to risk."  
  
Hermione continued to stare at Ginny. 'What is this girl talking about.'  
  
"When, I look into the mirror, I wonder how Harry can ever like me..."  
  
"But Gin..."  
  
"And all those kinds of thoughts fill your head, and they overcome the sensible part of your brain, and you just... just..." Ginny couldn't seem to find the right word.  
  
Hermione knew which way Ginny was heading. "... become blind to the fact that the other person may like you. And then you suddenly realize why you can't be straight-forward."  
  
"You're afraid of being hurt." Added Hermione as quietly as she could.  
  
Ginny nodded her head but she didn't seem to be paying attention.  
  
"I'm afraid of being hurt."  
  
Hermione was taken aback by how direct Ginny was being and truth be told, it was a bit scary.  
  
"I guess I am too." She added in a mere whisper.  
  
Ginny suddenly arose from her pink chair and walked out of the room.  
  
'What just happened?' thought Hermione. She stared out at where the female red-head had just exited. Hermione found her own feet dragging her down the hall.  
  
Ron stared out the window at the sunny afternoon.  
  
"Come in." he said, responding to the knock on his door.  
  
Hermione found that her feet were dragging her and she had no control.  
  
With the sudden appearance of Hermione at the door, he quickly stopped thinking about what a great mediwitch she could be. Or a great anything she could be.  
  
"'Mione. What's wrong?"  
  
"Ron...there's this guy I like..."  
  
Ron felt his face redden. She liked someone. But he wasn't going to let her hurt him like this. He had ammo.  
  
"Yeah, Amy's damn hot."  
  
"Don't use that language, Ron." She said, feeling those unexplained tears spring back to her eyes.  
  
"I'm talking about the woman of my dreams, here!"  
  
This statement caused the tears to fall. But not without a fight.  
  
"Yeah, good thing I already met the man of my dreams, Viktor Krum."  
  
Ron stood up in a fury. "Yeah, now we can both get on with our lives."  
  
"Ron!"  
  
"No, 'Mione. For once, you're going to shut up and listen to me. You met Viktor, I met Amy so there really is no need to try and impress me." He added, hoping he was right.  
  
"Impress YOU?!? Ronald Weasley, you are the last man on earth I want to impress."  
  
"Well, than good. Now if you excuse me..."  
  
"RON!"  
  
"'MIONE! Leave me alone! I met my girl so..."  
  
"Yeah, let me pack my bags."  
  
"You wouldn't DARE leave because you always have to win!"  
  
Hermione needed a way out. She needed to...she needed to...to...  
  
POP  
  
And in the blink of an eye, Hermione had apparated out of the room.  
  
_A/N I know that this one is really short but I felt this was the perfect place to stop it. At a kind of cliff-hanger place. What's going to happen next? Who knows? Because right now, I don't even know. But...I know this is just R/Hr fluff, but should I turn it into a full blown story? I need my readers' consent of course. If you want to keep it fluff, I don't mind and if not, I still don't mind. Please respond.  
  
Tabytha_


	7. Calm Before the Storm: Day 3C

** Chapter 7- Day 3C**

****   
  
_A/N I want to thank all the people that reviewed. Thank you! And my amazing beta, MilesFromNormal, that makes this possible to read. Thanks! After I polled my readers, thee majority want this to be a full-blown story. I'm going to wait for just the right moment when this will cross from fluff to a real story.  
  
Disclaimer I only own Sarah, Elizabeth, and Amy and the plot. The rest belong to the incredible JKR._Hermione looked around at the familiar room. 'It's good to be home.' She thought. A lot of thoughts had crossed her mind.  
  
'Maybe I should go to the Weasley's... wait... under the circumstances... well, my parents are on a business trip. They don't come back until...5 days from now.'  
  
Hermione finally settled on her own house. She settled herself on the couch.  
  
'Oh! Ginny should come but... No, I can handle it. After all, I'm 17 and graduated from Hogwarts... but... yes, I'll invite only Ginny.'  
  
The truth of the matter was that Hermione was lonely. She wished she hadn't left Crookshanks at The Burrow. She got up and headed to the telephone. It was a good thing Ginny knew how to work one. Hermione had taken the liberty of teaching her. She braced herself for 2 long rings.  
  
"Hello?" came Ginny's breathless voice.  
  
"Ginny? It's Hermione."  
  
"Oh, Hermione. I can't talk now. Ron's in a right state. I have to go. Bye."  
  
Hermione sighed. Suddenly she gasped. 'Crap, I left my stuff in Mueshke Village. Should I... I'll just have Ginny owl it over. But Pig can't handle it. It's ok. The week will be over soon enough.'  
  
Hermione had opened the fridge when the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
_A few minutes earlier..._ "Bloody hell! Harry! Ginny!"  
  
Harry and Ginny, assuming the worst, rushed into Ron's room.  
  
"What? What happened?" Ginny asked, feeling a bit short on breath.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" questioned Harry.  
  
Ron seemed to have said his entire vocabulary in one sentence. His mouth just hung open ad his eyes held complete shock.  
  
"Ron? RON!"  
  
Ron seemed to have been snapped back down to earth.  
  
"HERMIONE! SHE JUST APPARATED!! AND...AND..."  
  
Ginny's face displayed the same shock Ron's had earlier. Harry seemed to have recovered first.  
  
"Well, we should just owl her. Pig should be able to find her." Ginny glanced at Harry. She loved how he could be level-headed.  
  
"Yeah...yeah... she wouldn't make herself undetectable." Said Ron, shaking his head, as if agreeing with himself.  
  
Ginny risked a glance at her brother. His face was crimson, yet it somehow managed to be pale at the same time too.  
  
The phone rang. Ron jumped and then collapsed onto his bed. "Gin- can you get that?" he said, mustering all the strength he could.  
  
Ginny turned on her heel and briskly walked out of the room.  
  
Hermione sat at the kitchen with a bowl of ice cream in front of her. Somehow, this reminded her of Ron. She sighed and threw the ice cream away.  
  
She re-settled herself on her living room couch, near the telephone. Although she had expected this, when the phone rang, she jumped about a mile high.  
  
"Hello?" she said breathlessly into the phone.  
  
"Hermione? I'm coming over."  
  
"No Gin! Stay. Remember, we're not allowed to use magic." Part of her wanted Ginny to come, but part of her didn't."  
  
"I'm not apparating. I'm walking."  
  
At first, Hermione felt grateful, than the logical part of her brain took over. Again.  
  
"No, Ginny. You're not walking all the way over here."  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"No, you're..." but Hermione knew better than to argue with a Weasley. Although she wanted Ginny to stay where she was, she wasn't going to argue.  
  
"Fine. But I don't want you walking here all by yourself."  
  
"Of course not, silly. Ron's coming with me."  
  
"NO!" But Ginny had hung up the phone before Hermione could protest. A knot tied in her stomach and she felt extremely hot.  
  
'Crap. Crap, crap. What am I going to do?' pondered Hermione as she paced back and forth in her living room.  
  
As soon as Ginny had re-entered Ron's room, she was pounded with questions.  
  
"Gin? Who was that? What did they want? Was it 'Mione? Where is she? Is she okay?"  
  
Ginny roller her eyes at her brother. It was obvious he liked her, so why didn't he say anything?  
  
"It was Hermione, and she's okay. Get ready. I'm making you com..." Suddenly Ginny got an idea. She looked over at Harry. Apparently, Harry had the same idea. "She wants you to come over. To her house. While her parents are away." Ginny saw Harry smirk out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Ron's face turned more crimson and more pale. A feat that seemed almost impossible to Ginny. Ron glanced at Harry.  
  
"You're coming with me."  
  
Ginny sighed. She knew this was going to happen. It was all part of the plan.  
  
Ginny carefully made her way out of the room with Harry close behind her. Ron was trying to pick out a new outfit. A cause of laughter for Harry and Ginny.  
  
"Gin, you are fabulous. If they don't do anything about it, we will."  
  
Ginny blushed at the compliment.  
  
"Thanks, Harry." She mumbled without ever taking her eyes off the floor.  
  
Hermione dug through her drawers in desperation. She had taken all her decent clothes to the Village in hopes of impressing Ron. That is. Before Amy arrived.  
  
She miraculously found a white mini skirt. The miracle was that her Aunt Elaine had given it to her at Christmas. But Hermione hated it, being as conservative as she was. She had planned on throwing it out as soon as Aunt Elaine had left. However, she had forgotten about it until now.  
  
She quickly pulled that aside and now rummaged for a shirt. She settled on a sheer pink top. 'I didn't know I owned anything sheer.' She though. But just because Ron was coming over didn't mean she was going to stop being conservative. She pulled a white jacket over her shirt.  
  
She then ran to the mirror. 'Oh, what were those spells Lavender was going on about? Um...' Hermione sighed in desperation. "_Yergarn Estimpio."_  
  
**POOF**  
  
Hermione's hair shifted into the shape of a cactus.  
  
"AH! Er... _Pfaltzgraff limpier."_  
  
**POOF**  
  
Hermione's hair started spouting confetti. She might have been plenty book- smart, but Hermione had never really cared for cosmetic spells. Up until now.  
  
"_Enarugo Fintude."_ Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Her hair curled around her shoulders and tumbled softly from her pink barrette.  
  
Ron wrung his hands nervously behind his back. Ginny stood next to him perfectly calm.  
  
A few seconds after the first ring of the doorbell, Hermione opened it.  
  
Ron had to bite his tongue, hard, to keep his mouth closed. He began to feel extremely light-headed and he felt his mouth turn dry.  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" said Ginny, reaching out to hug her friend. Ginny elbowed him to make him move.  
  
However, this only succeeded in pushing Ron forward. A bit too much, actually, way too much.  
  
Ron, not excepting this, had lost his balance and had fallen forward. Ron had fallen on top of Hermione.  
  
He felt extremely nervous. Then, he made a huge mistake. He looked into her eyes.  
  
Hermione found breathing extremely difficult. Not that Ron was hurting her but it was just that... she was... well, nervous.  
  
She looked into the baby blue eyes she had known for 7 years. But this time they looked different. Because this time, they were looking at her. They were looking at her the way they looked at Amy. And a combination of all this turned out to be a bit too much for Hermione.  
  
"Sorry." Said Ron nervously, standing up and never taking his gaze off of a particularly boring tree.  
  
Ginny, who had been watching everything unfold, had caught all the details she possibly could. She was averting her gaze from Ron to Hermione and vice versa.  
  
"Um... er..." Hermione brushed a stray hair behind her ear before finishing her sentence. "Why don't you come inside?"  
  
Ron watched painfully as Hermione buttoned up her jacket. He had been able to catch a glimpse of her shirt.  
  
"I've invited over Viktor, if that's alright." Said Hermione. She had called Viktor right after Ginny, but was now regretting that choice.  
  
"We're having a block party and poor Harry's at home all alone." Giggled Ginny jokingly.  
  
Ron's face turned a shade of red that rivaled his hair. "Yeah. Sure."  
  
Hermione situated herself as far away from Ron as she possibly could. Ron winced as she chose the seat at the far left of the room. Especially because he was on the far right.  
  
The doorbell rang and Hermione got up to answer it. Ron watched her open the door. He clenched his fists as Viktor quickly pecked Hermione on the cheek.  
  
He felt nauseous when Viktor put his arm around Hermione. He felt horribly sick when she did not pull away.  
  
He refused to take part in the polite conversation Ginny was making.  
  
"I miss Harry." Ginny accidentally let slip. Hermione giggled even though she had never been one for gossip.  
  
"Well, well, well. Is there something we don't know Ms. Weasley?"  
  
Ginny blushed and thought about how to answer. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there's something you and everyone else in this room doesn't know."  
  
The entire room fell into an awkward silence. Ginny bit her lip. She immediately regretted the words she had just let slip.  
  
"I... I..."  
  
**RING  
**  
Hermione quickly got up to retrieve the phone.  
  
Ron followed in after her.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Wait Ron."  
  
"But 'Mione..." She sighed. She loved that nickname, but there was someone on the phone. Ron could wait.  
  
Suddenly, the phone dropped, Hermione turned deathly pale, and fell into Ron's arms.  
  
_HA! Talk about a cliffhanger. What's going to happen? Please R&R so I can make my story better! And recommend it. Please. Sorry it took so long._  
  
Tabytha 


	8. Aftershock: Day 4

Chapter 8- Day 4  
  
_A/N Hooray! Apparently the last chapter was pretty good. I'm busy this summer but I love writing fanfics! As some of you might know, this fic will have a sequel. I've written up to Chapter 10. And if you can actually read this, it's because the bestest beta here, MilesFromNormal, has so carefully fixed all of my horrible mistakes. READ ON!  
  
Disclaimer As we all know by now, I am not talented or creative enough to be JK Rowling so... just though I'd let you know._

_To clear up stuff, Dumbledore is on the safe side. If people saw the infamous trio and Ginny ith Dumbledore... if there was a spy..._

Dedicated to my awesome beta MilesFromNormal, thanks for everything

  
  
Hermione woke up shaking. She looked down. 'No wonder.' She thought to herself. She was wearing the clothes her Aunt Elaine had given her. That woman wouldn't know Hermione from a hole in the wall.  
  
Hermione stood up and wrapped her blanket around her. It was no use considering how much she was still shaking. But she knew that it wasn't all because of the outfit, it was partly because of what happened... what she had heard... last night on the phone.  
  
**_FLASHBACK_**  
  
_Hermione rushed to pick up the phone. Hopefully, it wasn't her parents. Or Ron's for the matter.  
  
"Hello, who is this?"  
  
"Miss Granger. It is Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"Oh! Hello professor!"  
  
"I am afraid I carry morbid news."  
  
Hermione winced at the thought of what he might say. "Yes?"  
  
"Mr. Harry Potter has been attacked."  
  
Suddenly, the phone dropped, Hermione turned deathly pale, and fell into Ron's arms._  
  
**_END FLASHBACK   
_**  
Hermione now found herself shaking even more, if that was at all possible. She carefully crept to the kitchen. She gasped when she saw Ginny in the guestroom, still in last night's clothes. She happened to see Viktor sleeping on the couch in the living room as she made her way to the kitchen. She briefly wondered where Ron was but pushed that thought aside. She had more important things that required her stress; She gingerly sat down at the kitchen table. Hermione glanced at the clock. '6:12 am.' She thought to herself. She figured she had an hour to make a plan.  
  
'First off, I need to change out of these ridiculous garments.' Thought Hermione, noting it down on a scrap piece of paper. She knew why she had worn those in the first place, but now it seemed so trivial. If Ron wanted Amy, he could have her.  
  
'Then, I need to find a way to break it to Ron and Ginny.' Hermione sighed and placed her head in her hands. 'This is going to be difficult.' She sighed heavily as she got up. She pulled her blanket tighter around her and went off to address the first item on her list, changing.  
  
She put her blanket down gently as she began the search for a comfortable outfit. She finally settled on some worn but comfortable jeans, a plain blouse, and her old Gryffindor scarf. After all, she was still cold. She looked at the mirror at herself. Her hair was bushy and she didn't look particularly good but today was not that kind of day. Today was, "save Harry" day.  
  
She looked at the clock when she returned from the kitchen. '6:32. Wow, time sure flies when your best friend is lying unconscious somewhere.' She thought sourly to herself. She couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up and began to pull on her shoes.  
  
"Holy crap! Who put that there?"  
  
Hermione jumped and placed her hand over her heart. She quickly got up, with her left shoe on and the right one still on the floor, and went to investigate.  
  
"Ron." She heard herself give a sigh of relief.  
  
"Oh, sorry 'Mione. I didn't know anyone was awake."  
  
"Ron..." Ron watched as Hermione's face turned pale, and then paler.  
  
"Hermione? What is it?"  
  
"Ron, Harry was attacked last night." She bit her lip as she waited for his reaction. He turned pale, paler, paler...  
  
"Bloody hell! 'Mione, we have to do something!" he began storming the kitchen in search of his shoes.  
  
"Ron." Said Hermione, pulling him back. "We can't just run off." As much as this idea appealed to her, she knew Dumbledore wouldn't approve.  
  
_As if to prove her point, a gray-speckled white owl entered the room. Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, I know that by now, you have been informed of the attack made on Mr. Potter last night. However, I must request that you remain where you are until more details are disclosed. At this moment, we are not sure of the nature of this attack, but we must ask you to remain where you are. You should be receiving another owl shortly.  
  
Professor Dumbledore_  
  
Ron gaped as he read the letter.  
  
"What the hell? He wants us to stay here while Harry... Harry..." He was now crimson and his eyes were flashing dangerously.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Ginny who was rubbing her eyes groggily as she made her way into the kitchen. Ron thrust the letter to his still half- asleep sister.  
  
It was obvious when she had finished reading the letter. Her eyes got big and her eyes immediately began to water.  
  
"We... we need to go find him." Her voice showed determination but with further inspection, Hermione could see that Ginny was doing her best to hide the pain and hurt.  
  
"Aw, Gin." Said Hermione, hugging her friend, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Vhat's going on?"  
  
"Aw, Viktor. Just get the hell out of here." Said Ron, waving Viktor angrily out of the house.  
  
"Um...Viktor, if you don't mind coming back later..."  
  
"It's ok, Hermy-own-ninny, I play against London today, I need to get ready." Said Viktor as he exited the house in what seemed to be one swift movement.  
  
Ginny's tears suddenly erupted from her eyes but the determination was still evidently there.  
  
"Come on, let's go." She said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Gin, we're not going. Yet."  
  
Ginny looked at Hermione and slowly nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"What the..."  
  
"Ron, you need to listen. Harry would want you to be safe." "Oh, come on, Hermione. How would you know what Harry wants?"  
  
He immediately regretted his words the minute they left his lips.  
  
Hermione's eyes filled with anger and hurt. "RONALD WEASLEY! I KNOW WHAT HARRY WOULD HAVE WANTED JUST AS MUCH AS YOU?!"  
  
"WELL, MS. GRANGER, ENLIGHTEN ME, WHAT WOULD HARRY WANT!"  
  
"HARRY WOULD WANT US TO BE SAFE!"  
  
"You're both wrong." Two angry, flushed faces turned to face Ginny.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about Ginny?" questioned Ron.  
  
"Me and Harry talked about this. What he wanted us to do. In case this ever... happened..." the tears were welling up in her eyes again. "He wanted us to..."  
  
But Ginny never got to finish what Harry wanted. The arrival of the owl from earlier interrupted her.  
  
Hermione reached up anxiously and untied the letter.  
  
_Ms. Granger, Mr. and Ms. Weasley, _

_Good morning, Ms. Weasley. Updates have been made, but cannot be disclosed in this letter seeing as how it may be intercepted. But please feel free to apparate to Hogsmeade. I trust you to use your intuition to figure out the details as I do not feel it safe to disclose this. However, since 3 would attract onlookers, if it is possible, I request only 2 of you attend.  
  
Professor Dumbledore_  
  
"Ginny, stay here."  
  
"GRANGER, ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE LEFT HARRY ALONE! NO WAY IS GIN STAYING ALONE!"  
  
"FINE MR. WEASLEY, I'LL STAY BEHIND!"  
  
"NO, HERMIONE! ME AND YOU CAN GO AND RON CAN STAY!"  
  
"GIN! THANKS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR BROTHER!" shouted Ron. His face crimson, which matched everyone else's face.  
  
"OH, SO ARE YOU SAYING RON, YOU WOULD LEAVE ME IN DANGER!" Truth be told, Hermione was interested in hearing the answer.

"I... I...YES!"  
  
Hermione felt hot tears sting into her eyes. She didn't want to lose the argument but it would be far more worse to cry in front of Ron. So she quickly turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. She shot one last menacing glare to show Ron she wasn't giving up.  
  
But the question still remained, Who was going?  
  
_Bad chapter, not so good chapter? This chapter is more of a transition chapter and those are always difficult to write. It might be a bit slow but the next chapter will pick things up. Please R & R!  
  
Tabytha _


	9. With tragedy comes oppurtunity: Day 4B

Chapter 9- Day 4B  
  
A/N I feel so loved! I checked my email and I can't believe how many reviews I got! Well, maybe not a lot for some people, but a lot for me! Anyways, I've finally figured out this story and what's going to happen in the sequel. But if you have any ideas... feel free to email me.  
  
Disclaimer I think by now, you all know I am not JK Rowling. If I was, I'd be rich. But alas, I'm writing this fic, which even though it doesn't give me money, um...it gives me... er... satisfaction. Here goes.  
  
Dedicated to my most faithful reviewer: TigerLily130   
  
"RONALD WEASLEY!! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!" screamed a Ginny who was becoming more scarlet as the seconds past.  
  
"What did I do?!" screamed Ron who in turn, was growing more and more... embarrassed.  
  
"You made Hermione cry. Again." Screamed a Ginny who was hastily pushing Ron out of her way as she headed towards the door.  
  
Ron heaved a heavy sigh. He knew what he had done. But he didn't know what kind of answer she had wanted. He watched as Ginny swept out of the room and ran off into the direction of Hermione.  
  
Ron resolved to sit on the couch and stare out the window.  
  
Hermione was in her room sobbing. She hardly heard the sound of a soft knock on her door.  
  
"Come on." Replied Hermione who was brushing tears away from her bloodshot eyes.  
  
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Ginny as she carefully slid into the room.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine. You and Ron should get going."  
  
An awkward silence engulfed the room. Hermione took this as a moment to contemplate why she was crying. 'It can't be because of Ron. It's because Ron said he wouldn't mind putting me in danger. Friends aren't supposed to tell you that. At least not to your face.'  
  
"I... I think you should go, Hermione."  
  
"No, Gin. It's clear Ron wants you to go." Make no doubt, Hermione tried to hide the bitterness, 'I just didn't try hard enough.'  
  
"I have a brilliant idea!" Leave it to Ginny to come up with a brilliant idea. "You and Ron will meet Dumbledore. I'll go and go buy something for..."  
  
The tears began to well up in her eyes again. In order not to cry, she didn't bother finishing her sentence.  
  
Hermione, despite herself, felt a bit brightened. "If you're sure."  
  
Another knock interrupted her. Without as much as a, "Come in." Ron pushed open the door without coming in.  
  
"I think that's a great idea, Gin." He said as he attempted a smile.  
  
Ron and Hermione awaited nervously in the Three Broomsticks with glasses of butter beer in front of them.  
  
"Listen, 'Mione. I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Hermione looked at Ron. He was looking at the table and his face had a tint of pink.  
  
"We're all dealing with something horrible."  
  
"We should be helping! We should..." Ron had stood up and attracted attention. Hermione unknowingly grabbed his hand and pulled him down. She immediately released his hand. It was ironic that she didn't see the look of disappointment in Ron's face.  
  
"We're in public. Remember, no one knows about this yet."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right, 'Mione." He said, smiling at her with a sheepishly.  
  
Hermione felt herself smile also, despite herself. For one moment, their eyes locked. Ron was the first to break eye contact.  
  
"Er... um..." Ron was obviously trying to rid the air of the awkwardness that had engulfed them.  
  
"When do you suppose Professor Dumbledore will arrive?" stated Hermione, never taking her eyes off the particularly interesting speck of dust on the table.  
  
"I dunno." Said Ron, who seemed to have found the same speck of dust as well.  
  
Hermione simply nodded her head and forced herself to look up again. It was horribly inconvenient that Ron had chosen that moment to look up as well.  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Yeah, 'Mione?"  
  
She quickly flicked her eyes away but continued talking. "I wonder what Ginny's going."  
  
Ron, crest-fallen, returned his full attention to the speck of dust he had dubbed, "Speck." "I'm not sure. Probably off buying something about Quidditch for Harry." Said Ron with a certain resentment in his voice.  
  
"Aw, you poor thing, do you want something about Quiddith?" Stated Hermione in mock concern.  
  
"Actually, I would."  
  
This caused both Ron and Hermione to begin to laugh. "You know she fancies him, Ron."  
  
"Yeah." Grumbled a Ron who looked back at Speck.  
  
"Ron Weasley, what are you looking at that could possibly be more important than what I have to say?" stated Hermione jokingly.  
  
"Speck."  
  
Hermione got up to get a better view of what Ron was talking about. She stood on tip-toe so she could see over his shoulder. Ron smiled.  
  
"See, now that speck of dust is Speck." Said Ron, pointing out Speck.  
  
"Are you telling me that...Speck is more interesting than me?" she stated in a tone of mock hurt.  
  
"Why... yes, that is exactly what I'm saying."  
  
They both broke out into a fit of laughs before Hermione returned to her chair.  
  
"'Mione?"  
  
"Yes, Ron?"  
  
"Do you suppose Harry fancies Ginny as well?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes at his question. She knew he was protective of Ginny.  
  
"I suppose so. Why?"  
  
"Because if he hurts her..."  
  
"Ron, Harry's not going to hurt her."  
  
"I guess you're right." Said Ron, giving her the same sheepish smile he had earlier.  
  
A silence drifted upon them again but this was a more comfortable one.  
  
"Now, 'Mione..." Ron looked at her with a mischievous look in his eyes. This caused Hermione's stomach to begin training to Olympic Gymnastics.  
  
"Who do you fancy?"  
  
"I don't believe that's any of your business." She said as she slapped his arm.  
  
"What was that for?" he said, rubbing the spot where she had hit him.  
  
"For asking me a personal question."  
  
"I thought you were with Viktor."  
  
"I'm going to break it off. And can we please drop it?"  
  
"When do you.... Do you think Dumbledore will apparate?"  
  
"You can't! It says so in...  
  
"Hogwarts: A History." They both recited in unison. Again, this provoked more laughter from the them.  
  
It turns out, Ron had placed his hand on the table. Hermione, laughing as hard as she was, didn't happen to see that hand, therefore causing her hand to fall on top of his.  
  
Their eyes were locked on the overlapping hands but none of them dared to move.  
  
Hermione's heart was beating so hard, she was sure Ron could hear it. And as it turns out, Ron's stomach also has dreams of joining the Olympic team.  
  
"I apologize if I am interrupting anything, but may I cut in?"  
  
Both hands quickly withdrew into their owner's lap. Hermione cleared a chair for Dumbledore and they sat down to discuss... I am so evil! Another cliffy! This was mostly fluff. Yes, it's true, the next one will be a lot of story. I got a really good idea for the end. Please RRR. Read, review, recommend. Thanks a lot! And a question. I've been getting things asking me to revert back to fluff? This is the final poll people, so make up your minds! LOL! And is it okay if I squeeze one itty-bitty song into a later chapter? Just a little one like earlier.  
  
Tabytha 


	10. It's Official: Day 4C

**Chapter 10- Day 4C**  
  
Disclaimer I except that by now, most of you know that I am not JKR, so I feel no need to elaborate on the subject... because... it makes me sad... clears throat  
  
_A/N Okay, so judging by polls, it's okay to fit in a song later and you want a story with a lot of fluff in it. I just needed to know before this chapter. And I have found out cliffies work quite well. LOL!_  
  
Dumbledore quickly muttered an incoherent charm.  
  
"Professor, what charm was that?" asked Hermione, who was rather shocked at running into a spell she didn't recognize.  
  
"Oh, does Ms. Granger not know?" retorted Ron, the mischievous look back in his eyes.  
  
Hermione was about to let slip a witty comment when Professor Dumbledore cut in.  
  
"It is a spell that shall make it seem as if we are talking about everyday things when really we are not."  
  
"I should learn that spell." Muttered Ron. Hermione had heard and glared at Ron. She had caught his meaning.  
  
"As we all know, Harry Potter was attacked while at Mueshke Village. The Ministry of Magic is working out the details..."  
  
"The Ministry of Magic?" asked Ron, slightly puzzled.  
  
But before Dumbledore could answer, Hermione interrupted again. "I'm sorry. This is the last interruption, I promise. But what will people think we're talking about?"  
  
"Why, Quidditch naturally." Answered the wise professor. Ron couldn't help but smirk. Hermione simply nodded her head and took another drink of butterbeer.  
  
"We do know for a fact that Death Eaters were behind this. It was not Lord Voldemort, but rather one of his followers. It is believed that after you 2 had left the house, Death Eaters surrounded it. After waiting an approximated hour, they attacked."  
  
"What curse did they use?"  
  
"They tortured him. He is not dead. They wanted to know the whereabouts..."  
  
"The whereabouts of who?" asked Hermione, becoming nervous.  
  
"The whereabouts of you, Miss Granger." Said Dumbledore sadly.  
  
Hermione turned pale and unknowingly grabbed Ron's hand for support.  
  
"Why her?" asked Ron in a protective voice, clutching her hand tighter underneath the table.  
  
"I do not think it matters but as you know, you're family has ancient magical protection. Miss Granger does not have that." Replied Dumbledore, looking truly sad.  
  
"Well, isn't there anything we can do? Anything? Some spell... charm..." Ron was now squeezing her hand so hard, Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if it broke. But she didn't mind.  
  
Ron was crimson with anger and fear.  
  
"The Ministry is looking into that..."  
  
"The Ministry?! It's going to take them months, maybe years... who knows?! Ron had now instinctively reached for her other hand.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, I agree with you. Which is why I'm giving you the opportunity to do it. I won't be able to. I'm going to be dealing with the Minister."  
  
Hermione by chance glanced at Ron. It was then she saw him mouth the words. 'Anything for 'Mione.' She knew she wasn't supposed to see that, but afterwards, she couldn't lift her gave off Ron.  
  
"Mr. Potter is fine, he is in St. Mungo's recovering. If Ms. Weasley wants to go pay him a visit."  
  
"She'd like that." Muttered Hermione, finding that Speck was indeed intriguing.  
  
"I am so sorry this had to happen, Especially you're first year out of Hogwarts. I can only wish you the best of luck. The Minister seems to be keeping a close eye on me these days."  
  
Both Ron and Hermione laughed at this joke. Dumbledore and Fudge had gotten over their differences but the Daily Prophet would always make dry jokes like these. However, they actually seemed funny when Dumbledore told them.  
  
With that, Dumbledore apparated. If Ron hadn't been too busy thinking up a way to protect Hermione and if she hadn't been busy thinking of how to tell Ginny, they might have noticed the small bit of parchment Dumbledore had left on the floor for them. Hermione, being the perfectionist she was, thoughtlessly picked it up and stuffed it into her pocket, only intending it to leave when it would make its appearance in the trashcan.  
  
Ron held on protectively to her hand as they made their way out of The Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Ron?" Said Hermione, considering the situation was blushing for a rather strange reason, turned to speak to him.  
  
_Yes, I know I made you wait forever for an impossibly short chappie. I'm fixing my last one thanks to my great beta! I might not write for a while because I'm going out of town but I'll post 3 count 'em 3 chapters when I get back. Read, review, recommend...  
  
Tabytha_


	11. Preparing for the Storm: Day 4D

Chapter 11- Day 4D

_A/N Yes, this is the first day that has been split into 4 parts. Sorry it took a while, but just for the record, I had fun! And I was hit with an idea…too bad it's for the sequel. LOL! Anyways, I just realized, 11 chapters, wow. I am going to dedicate the 14th chapter to…the 45th reviewer. So…. Here goes. The long awaited chapter! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer How many times must I say I am not JK Rowling? I think that we all know by now. It's not like anyone is going to confuse me with her but…_

"Yeah?" he asked, looking at her, his hand still gripping protectively onto hers.

"Can… can we go to the Burrow?" asked Hermione in a quiet voice, as if afraid someone was eavesdropping.

"Sure." Came the reply, as he steered her into a shop. "Just let me get Gin."

Hermione simply nodded and scanned the store for her friend. Luckily, Ginny has the Weasley red hair so she wasn't difficult to spot.

Ginny's eyes went wide with disbelief as she saw Ron clutching Hermione's hand. Hermione happened to see this but she made no effort as to remove her hand from its current location.

Ron dragged her along as he whispered something to his sister. Ginny simply nodded and followed them out of the store.

Hermione's thoughts were reeling from the conversation that had occurred just mere minutes ago.

_"They tortured him. He is not dead. They wanted to know the whereabouts…"_

_"The whereabouts of who?" asked Hermione, becoming nervous…_

_"The whereabouts of you, Miss Granger." Said Dumbledore sadly…_

_"I do not think it matters but as you know, you're family has ancient magical protection. Miss Granger does not have that."…_

_"Mr. Weasley, I agree with you. Which is why I'm giving you the opportunity to do it. I won't be able to. I'm going to be dealing with the Minister."…_

_'Anything for 'Mione.'_

Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts as she found herself in the Burrow. She was a bit shocked that she hadn't realized how she had gotten there, but she quickly recovered. She sighed as she saw Ron was still squeezing the life out of her poor hand. Still, she didn't attempt to relocate it.

She looked around the empty room. It seemed like no one was home. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Ron ushered her up the stairs to his room. Hermione found herself withdrawing her hand as she saw the giant stack of books on Ron's desk.

"Oh, my. RON!" She yelled, wildly gesturing to the desk.

Ron simply nodded with a smile plastered on his face.

Hermione was bordering on hysteria since she was now very excited.

"Yeah, when you were looking for Gin, I ordered them and had them delivered here."

"OH, RON!" She yelled, bringing him into a tight embrace.

Ron hugged her back but she quickly withdrew.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Ron. I was just so excited that… well…" Hermione stuttered out an explanation all while staring at the bright orange walls.

Ron simply nodded. He might have been in Gryffindor while he was a Hogwarts but he had no courage to tell her what he wanted to say.

Hermione dove into the stack of books immediately. Ron conjured up a chair and pulled it next to her. But not close enough for her to suspect anything.

Hermione pulled out _1001 Spells for Helping the Tortured._

"You're not going to read ALL of them are you? I mean…"

"Yes, Ronald! The life of our friend is at stake and all you can say is…"

"Well, 'Mione, I meant you take 501 and I take 500."

Hermione looked at him and then burst out laughing. "How about Ginny take 1?"

As if she had been listening in, Ginny burst into the room in tears.

"Oh, Gin! What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she got up and tried to console her red-head friend.

"NO! Harry…I told Harry that I didn't love him and then… he left… and now… I might never get the chance to…" Ginny tried to fit in as much words as possible between sobs.

Hermione simply nodded and gave Ron a pleading look. Ron walked over and wrapped his arms around his sister, giving some relief to Hermione who's shirt was almost soaking wet in tears.

"Ron, I think you should leave." Said Hermione gesturing towards the door. Ron felt hurt but took this as a prime opportunity to use the Extendable Ears.

"Now, Gin, what's wrong?"

"I told you!" snapped Ginny whose face was now flushed from crying. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to be so mean to you. I'm just afraid I'm never going to see Harry again." The words that had just escaped her lips caused Ginny to begin sobbing again. Hermione patiently waited until she was ready to talk.

"Ginny? What did you want to say to Harry?" asked Hermione, slowly considering each word as she said it.

Ginny seemed to ponder this question for a moment. "I'm just afraid something's happened to him."

"So are we." Hermione then quoted word-for-word the conversation that had taken place in _The Three Broomsticks_.

Ginny simply sat in silence, as pale as you can get without being dead. This thought scared Hermione.

"It's just not fair. You should be enjoying your first summer out of Hogwarts and I should be enjoying my last year. I never imagined being friends with Harry would be so hard." Ginny instantly regretted the words she had let escape her lips.

"Do you regret it? Being friends with Harry I mean." Asked Hermione gently. She was determined to get an answer out of the youngest Weasley.

"No. It's probably one of the best things that has happened to me, with Malfoy always being so mean. Do you regret it?"

"No. Not in the slightest." Answered Hermione with a big of a smile one could muster under such circumstances.

Hermione felt it unnecessary to probe Ginny about what she wanted to say to Harry. Instead she just let it slip until Ginny was ready to talk.

"Hermione, thanks for listening."

"Any time, Gin."

Ginny got up and opened the door. She cast one last glance at Hermione.

Hermione was taken aback at what she saw there. It was grief, anger, regret, and fear. However, she chose to ignore it for the time being and let her friend slip out the door.

Hermione found herself slipping out of the same door just a few minutes later. She was surprised when she ran into Ron in the hall.

"Sorry." She said, blushing for some inexplicable reason. Hoping to hide her now red face, she turned her attention to the wall.

"Sorry." Muttered Ron in reply, oblivious to the tint on Hermione's face.

"We should really start to work." Said Hermione, voice full of determination. She turned and marched back into the room with Ron almost running to keep up with her.

Ron looked at Hermione, reading the first of her 501 assigned spells.

"About… Gin." He began, unsure of whether this was a safe subject.

Apparently, it wasn't.

"Ronald Weasley! I think you should leave your poor sister alone and begin working!" she began to yell. Luckily, she was much better at controlling her temper than Ron was.

She quickly returned back to reading her first spell. It was completely useless.

"Ron, this spell is on how to create sweaters for cats." Said Hermione, hardly able to restrain the laughter threatening to burst out.

"Yes, I do believe Harry will be needing that one. Maybe Crookshanks."

This caused the two to burst out laughing. A few seconds later they were finally able to control their fit of laughter.

"Ron, where is everybody?" said Hermione. It had suddenly dawned on her the entire Weasley house was eerily quiet.

"School supply shopping for Gin and at work." Came the simple reply.

"Well, why is Ginny not with them? We just came back from there."

Ron gave her a you-know-why glance. Hermione nodded and returned to work. She only had a few hours of this blissful silence before the entire Weasley family would arrive and she needed to make the most of it.

_Gr… I have the worst thing imaginable. Two words: Writer's Block. I re-wrote this chapter so many times and am still not entirely pleased with the way it turned out. Please RRR, Read (all done with that one), Review (See that little button? Click it!) and recommend (pretty please)_

_Tabytha_


	12. Pieces of the Puzzle: Day 4E

* * *

Chapter 12- Day 4E

_A/N Okay, I've gotten over my writer's block. Miracle, I know. I don't really have much to say except thanks to my beta, MilesFromNormal, who rocks at "beta-ing". Here goes!_

_Disclaimer No, I am not JK Rowling. We've been through this… I do not own any of the characters except Amy, Elizabeth, and Sarah._

* * *

Hermione took a moment to examine the work she had done. She had researched 50 spells and had nearly 9 rolls of parchment filled with notes.

She looked over at Ron's work. He was on spell 29 and had almost 2 rolls done. She sighed audibly and rolled her eyes.

"What?" questioned Ron, who up until that moment was rather proud of his work.

"Is it my fault that 20 of these spells explain how to clothes animals?" he said jokingly, even though it was true.

Hermione was taking the last 501 and had given Ron the first 500 after seeing the first spell was…not useful.

Hermoine was about to return to her work when the arrival of Mrs. Weasley signaled her to put away everything. With the flick of a wand, all of their research was successfully hidden.

Hermione went down the stairs to greet Molly. She had no intention of telling her anything. After all, Dumbledore had told them to keep it a secret from _everyone_. Not that she felt comfortable doing so, she just thought it was a wise thing to do for the time being.

Hermione was quickly engulfed in a huge hug, but was just as quickly let go. Over the years Molly had learned that eventually she had to let go so the kids could breathe. The challenging part came after their warm greetings were exchanged.

"What are you two doing back? I thought you were supposed to be there for a week." Mrs. Weasley said, taking a moment to look disapprovingly at each one of them. Hermione found it would be better to use that as an excuse instead of telling the truth. She just hoped Ron thought the same thing.

"Yeah, mum. Me and Hermione got in a bit of a row and we used little magic."

Hermione risked an immensely grateful glance at Ron. Molly simply told them how disappointed she was and went off to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

A slight creaking on the stairs called Ron and Hermione's attention. Ginny was standing there looking extremely fragile. Hermione could tell she had been crying, and asked Ron to leave. He released a loud groan of disappointment which earned him a slap from Ms. Hermione Granger.

"Are you okay?" Hermione questioned.

Ginny simply nodded and Hermione left her alone. She didn't want to talk about it if Ginny wasn't willing. They had learned that from Harry.

Ginny walked as silently as a ghost into the kitchen to quickly greet her mother and return back to her room. Hermione felt horrible for her friend. Ginny was devastated. Hermione had a guess as to why, but she didn't want to bother Ginny with that. The poor girl was stressed enough as it was.

Hermione briskly walked into the kitchen to find Ron looking for a snack. She grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him out, which was no easy feat.

"'Mione!"

"Ron, you know a well as I do we need to get to work before Fred and George come home for dinner."

This seemed to get to Ron's head as he obliged to working for another hour before heading back downstairs.

Hermione's work was beyond satisfactory even though her mind was on Ginny. That was another incentive for her to keep working. If…heaven forbid…Harry died, Ginny wouldn't probably last long after that.

Thinking all these things scared Hermione. She was never one to complain but she couldn't help thinking it wasn't fair. An attempt might possibly be made on her life, her best friend was in horrible condition and her other best friend was…well…gone. But gone temporarily, if she had anything to do with it.

Hermione mentally slapped herself. She needed to help Ron find a spell that might possibly help Harry. Unless Harry got a dog and the dog enjoyed wearing pastels, the spells she had found so far were useless.

Luckily, they had no where to be September.

"Do you have until September?" She thought out loud, forgetting the red-head that was next to her.

"I don't know, 'Mione. We have as long as You-Know-Who gives us." Hermione looked at Ron. He still had his boyish features but they had been tainted by pain that people their age shouldn't have to go through. He might be hilariously funny, but he was dealing with the same thing Hermione was.

Hermione somehow managed to pull her gaze back onto her parchment. A timid knock at the door caused Hermione's newfound concentration to break. Without as much as an acknowledgement, Ginny came in and sat next to Hermione. She pulled out _Helpful Spells for Dealing with Strong Curses_. She immediately summoned parchment, a quill and ink and began to write furiously.

The three teenagers worked in this fashion until the hour had passed and the sound of people arriving drew them out of their deep concentration.

Ginny was the first to grab her parchment and leave the room.

Ron leaned back in his chair and yawned. Hermione expected some smart comment from him but was surprised when he simply got up and began to walk out of the room.

"Ron? Do you think…we'll ever find a spell that will work?"

This caused Ron to stop in his tracks. He considered this question carefully before selecting the right words.

"I don't usually think…"

This caused Hermione to laugh, even though she knew he wasn't finished. Ron patiently finished for her to finish laughing.

"...about this kind of stuff. But being friends with Harry, I've thought more about it. We will find the right spell." He eventually decided.

"But how are you so sure?" asked Hermione, her voice beginning to sound desperate.

"I'm not sure."

"Don't tell me you're a Seer." Said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"No, but… if we give up, we'd have played into Voldemort's hands."

Hermione's mouth fell open. He had said Voldemort. She nodded her head. Now was not a time to resign herself to accept fate. Without knowing, she walked over to Ron, sat down next to him, and put her head on his shoulder.

Ron was taken aback completely. He had no idea what to do so he decided to slowly stroke her hair. This seemed to work as she was got up and headed out the door. He was slightly disappointed at this but they needed to get the greetings and lies out of the way before they could return to their work.

Hermione headed down the stairs but Ron took a detour to Ginny's room. She was there, gingerly wrapping the present she had gotten Harry.

"You okay, Gin?" he asked tentatively.

Ginny simply nodded but as she turned around to face her brother, he could tell she wasn't okay. He saw the same thing Hermione had seen in her eyes.

Ginny turned back to finish wrapping the present. She then whirled around with determination in her eyes.

"I'm going to help you. Find Harry, that is."

Ron didn't argue for he could tell this was something she really wanted to do. He nodded and turned to head out of the room but decided against it.

"Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind." He had lost his nerve to ask his sister what he wanted to ask. How did she feel about Harry. Ron figured this wasn't exactly the most appropriate time. He knew Ginny's hero worship of Harry was long since over. That's how they had finally become friends.

An awkward silence engulfed them and Ron chose to ignore it. He walked out of the room, making sure the door was completely closed. He wanted to have a little chat with Hermione during lunch as he was almost sure Ginny wouldn't show up. He didn't want to be the prat brother who was always in his sister's business, but his better judgment told him to figure out what was going on.

_I'm not exactly too proud of this chapter either. Maybe the readers think differently. I hope so. That button by "Submit Review" is awful lonely… so click it! Thanks!_

_Tabytha_


	13. Special Solution: Day 4F

Chapter 13- Day 4F

_A/N This is the last of my promised 3 chapters when I came back from vacation. This should be the last chapter of Day 4, only days 5, 6, and 7 left. So have fun with this one! I haven't really written it yet so… I'll tell you at the end whether I had fun writing. _

_Disclaimer No, I'm not JK Rowling which means I don't own any Harry Potter characters. If I did, would this disclaimer be on here? I didn't think so. _

* * *

Ron quickly greeted his father and hungrily dove into his dinner. The twins were running a bit late so they would be arriving the next day.

'Joy.' Thought Ron sourly to himself. He looked over at Hermione who was eating simply because Molly's food was too good to resist.

Ron figured it would be better to wait until after dinner to bring up the subject of Ginny. Surprisingly, dinner passed in a flash and Ron found himself back at his desk with Hermione writing furiously.

"Er… 'Mione? How's Ginny?"

Hermione didn't exactly know how to answer because she couldn't figure out his motives. _'Is he just asking because he thinks Ginny still likes Harry or is he more sensitive than I give him credit for?'_

"She's not doing well right now."

"Oh, really? She looks just fine to me." Ron snapped sarcastically.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know, Ron, you can be such a complete prat when you put your mind to it."

Ron chose to ignore that comment and continued on. "I just don't think she's doing so well. Maybe you should spend some girl time with her."

Hermione couldn't help but feel proud of Ron for being worried about his sister. "She's just worried. We all are."

Ron nodded and turned back to his work. He was only on spell 36.

"I'VE GOT IT!" exclaimed Hermione, toppling over the table and sending books, quills, and parchment flying in all directions.

"What?"

Hermione hurriedly pointed at a spell.

"The _Bestia Ferra _spell! It's a very difficult spell but if we can manage to do it, we will be able to track down Harry and rescue him. Part of the spell says a protection shield will be put up after we say the incantation."

Hermione's excitement was soon deterred. "We need 6 people who care for Harry to sacrifice a little of themselves."

"Count me in."

Hermione nodded and wrote down his name on the list.

_Ron_

_Hermione_

"Great, we're 4 short." Said Ron after examining the list.

Hermione paced around the room thinking. "Ron, we're going to need to tell your parents."

"What?! You heard Dumbledore; we're not allowed to tell anyone."

"Yes, I heard Dumbledore, we are supposed to be looking for a spell that's gong to save Harry."

Ron looked at Hermione and realized she was serious. He nodded.

"Who's going to do it?"

"Why, you will of course. You're their son."

"But…'Mione…"

"No 'buts', Ron."

Ron sighed. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow might be too late. Every second we waste, things just get worse for Harry."

Ron looked at Hermione and saw a pleading look in her eyes. He resigned himself to going downstairs right then and there to talk to his parents. He would tell them, but he wouldn't be alone.

He grabbed Hermione's right arm and led her out of the room.

Hermione was a bit worried at first about how they should tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. However, Ron seemed to have a plan because he led her purposely into the sitting room.

Ron crossed his fingers and hoped that Hermione had a plan. The minute he set foot in the room, he went behind Hermione and nudged her forward.

'So much for a plan.' Thought Hermione.

"What's wrong dears?" asked Mrs. Weasley upon seeing Ron holding Hermione's arm. Hermione seemed to have noticed this too as she quickly put both her arms behind her back.

Hermione went on to explain everything in detail with Ron interjecting bits and pieces she had left out. She didn't feel she should tell him she left them out because they were unimportant.

Molly and Arthur went pale. Molly started to cry until Hermione told her about the _Bestia Ferra_ spell. They both wrote their names on the piece of parchment that now read:

_Ron_

_Hermione_

_Arthur_

_Molly_

"Dumbledore would want to do it. And so would McGonagall." Said Ron. "We could owl them to meet us somewhere and we could ask them."

Hermione found herself proud of Ron's idea. She didn't admit that she had already thought of that.

Once they were both back upstairs, Hermoine said she was going to go talk to Ginny about it. Ron was a bit reluctant for his sister to sacrifice a bit of herself for Harry's sake but eventually gave in to Hermione's arguments.

Hermione knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Hermione sat gingerly on Ginny's well- made bed.

"About the spell…"

"I know." Said Ginny, holding up a pair of Extendable Ears and grinning sheepishly. "And I want to do it."

Hermione looked ruefully at her friend. "Gin, we've already got 4 people plus 2 others and we only need 6. The book recommends having one person who loves Harry. We all love him, but you get what I mean."

Ginny nodded. She wasn't sure if she was ready to come to terms with her feelings so she simply nodded and let Hermione slip out the door.

"Ron! I went in there and I had sat down when I remembered what the book said and I realized we had 6 people already. I didn't know what to do so I explained it to her. She understood that we needed to have someone that _loved_ Harry. As more than just a friend."

Ron simply nodded but he had a feeling that for once, Hermione Granger was wrong.

* * *

_I hope that wasn't too much of a cliffie. Please read, review, and recommend._

_Tabytha_


	14. A Medley of Thoughts: Day 4G

Chapter 14- Day 4G

A/N Wow. Day 4 is really long. Anyways, thank you for all the fabulous reviews I've gotten from you! So here's an early update, HAVE FUN!

Disclaimer I'm not JK Rowling so please don't sue me! So I don't own any of these characters. Except Amy (who will come back, remember, it's still day 4) Sara, and Elizabeth.

* * *

Ron carefully examined the frizzy-haired witch that was sitting to his left. She looked extremely tired.

"Hey, 'Mione? Why don't you get some rest?"

Hermoine nodded and began packing up her quills and parchment, most likely preparing for bed. This shocked Ron. 'Hermione? Giving up without a fight?'

"But I still have to find a way to talk to Dumbledore. I'll owl him before I go to bed to meet us somewhere and we can tell him about the _Bestia Ferra _spell. I still have a lot to do tonight."

Ron watched Hermione begin to talk animatedly about her to-do list. 'This girl is one-of-a-kind.'

"Still, get some rest 'Mione."

Hermione nodded and left the room.

* * *

Ginny lay on her bed, looking out of the window. She enjoyed looking out into the night sky and being able to see the stars. Night was when she did her best thinking. 'It's probably because I can't do anything else but lay here and think.'

However, tonight was different. Tonight, she didn't want to think. She wanted to sleep, just sleep. Ginny took in the sight before her. Even after living here all her life, the view was still breath-taking.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there, looking at the stars, cursing every thought about Harry Potter that entered her mind. She didn't want to admit it but she was a bit angry at Hermione for not letting her take part in the spell.

Ginny wouldn't say she loved Harry. Ginny had decided long ago that she didn't. After her crush, they were able to become friends.

A squeak from the door caused Ginny to shut her eyes tightly. She heard Hermione come in, leave assumingly to go to the bathroom, then return. Ginny had conjured up a bed for Hermione upon their arrival at The Burrow.

It was hard to believe, a day ago, things were so very different.

* * *

Ron was in his bed enjoying the same view Ginny was. However, no thoughts of Harry Potter were entering his head. At least not the kind Ginny was thinking. He wasn't debating whether or not he loved Harry. He was debating whether or not he _liked_ Hermione.

'This isn't the best time to think about that,' thought Ron angrily.

Ron rolled over to his side and was now facing his wall. 'Not the most pleasant view…'

* * *

Ginny knew Hermione was tired. After all, even _she_ was tired. But for some reason, Ginny felt like talking today. Not making friendly conversation, but really _talking_.

"Hey, Hermione?" asked Ginny in a little more than a whisper for fear she might be asleep.

"Yeah, Gin?" Hermione hadn't been sleeping but she sounded incredibly tired.

"I still want to join that potion thing. Is there any way you could make room for me?"

Hermoine seemed to consider this for a moment. "Sorry, Ginny. I don't think so. After all, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall are doing it, you know, as kind of 'parents'…"

"And there's no room for me," Ginny answered.

Hermione was quick to respond this time. "No! It's not that. Harry would have wanted you to join…"

"No, I don't think he would. We got in a pretty nasty row the night we went to go visit you."

Hermione couldn't help but feeling a slight twinge of guilt. "But you're still an important part of his life."

"No, I think you're wrong. We're friends but not the kind you guys are. We're less than that."

Hermione begged to differ but instead chose a lighter retort. "Are you saying I'm wrong?"

"As a matter of fact, I most certainly am."

Hermione playfully threw a pillow at Ginny. Ginny decided she didn't quite feel like returning it at the moment.

"Er… Gin… that was my pillow. Can I have it back please?"

Ginny pondered the question and quickly came to an answer. "Nope," said Ginny playfully as she hurled the pillow back at Hermione.

The two girls dissolved into fits of laughter. Hermione laughed until she was even more tired than before. However, she found it incredibly hard to sleep with a certain red-head next door.

* * *

"_Crucio!" shouted a cold, heartless… thing (for lack of better word)._

A loud scream filled the cold and empty dungeon. The curse had been aimed at a now fragile-looking boy lying in the middle of the room.

However, this young man was in no hurry to give away any information.

"CRUCIO! You will tell me. You do want to save your lovely Ginevra, don't you?"

"_LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!"_

"Or should I perhaps aim my attempts at a certain mudblood and the disgrace to the name 'pureblood'."

"I SAID, LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS! JUST DEAL WITH ME…" the young boy figured his time on earth would be limited so he decided to make the most of it, "… SINCE YOU'RE HAVING A HARD TIME ANYWAY!"

The attacker's face became a mask of pure anger.

"CRUCIO!"

* * *

Hermione was now the lucky soul who was enjoying the view from Ginny's window. A thought crossed her head. 'It must have been great growing up here…' However, Harry and the potion soon entered Hermione's thoughts. She quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and wrote by wand-light now that she was old enough to use magic outside of school.

After half an hour of writing, Hermione looked back at her notes. They were sloppy and inconsistent. She quickly put away her things; she was in no mood to study tonight. After all, what she needed was a new day.

* * *

Yes, I know, short. This chapter doesn't really add much of anything to the story but I wanted to wrap up the day. Day 5, HOORAY! does happy dance realizes people are watching Er… I hope you enjoyed. Reviews are welcome! Look at that tiny little button at the bottom. It's lonely. Don't you think? Next chapter will be dedicated to the first reviewer of this chapter. Does that make any sense? So, RRR!

Tabytha


	15. A Not So Good Start: Day 5

Chapter 15- Day 5A

_A/N Yes! Another chappie! I already have my next few dedications planned out. Everyone gets a turn! Anyways, it might take me a while to update because I have marching band practice and school starts in less than a week. But I'll try to update as much as possible. I'm going to start answering my reviewers at the bottom of each chapter. Don't worry though; they won't take away from the content of the story! I might also be changing the format a bit. It will be nothing big, don't worry. Sorry, I know this is kind of long. Thanks again MilesFromNormal for a terrific job! And now finally... drum roll the story! _

_Disclaimer No, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. sighs Must you always bring that up?_

_**Dedicated to- akf123 for being the first to review**_

* * *

_Yesterday; all my troubles seemed so far away_

_Now it looks as though they're here to stay_

_Oh I believe in yesterday_

Yesterday/ The Beatles

* * *

Hermione plopped herself beside Ron. He looked up at her quizzically. He had been enjoying a nice breakfast. His mother and father had gone with Fred and George to "investigate" the twins' shop.

"Guess what?"

Ron was in no mood for guessing games this morning. 'Even if it is with 'Mione,' he thought to himself.

"What?"

Hermione threw a list into his face.

_Ron_

_Hermione_

_Arthur_

_Molly_

"But what about..."

"I couldn't get a hold of them."

"So... what are we going to do?"

Ron instantly regretted his words. Hermione's eyes filled with such excitement, he scooted his chair back an inch, just as a precaution.

"Funny you should bring that up! You see, I was researching the spell in detail last night, it turns out you only need 5!"

Ron had to agree with Hermione. This was good news.

"Great!"

"There's one condition to only having five people. The fifth person's love for Harry has to be immensely strong."

Ron thought for a moment. "Okay... we can do it."

Hermione looked at Ron. "Okay... yeah! We could ask Cho Chang, if one of us can get a hold of her that is."

Ron glanced at Hermione in puzzlement. "Are you sure Cho loves Harry? Isn't she going out with someone?"

"Well...yes... but that doesn't mean she doesn't love Harry."

"'Mione, love's a really strong word."

"I know," said Hermione, "what it means _Ronald_." A slight amount of pain filled her eyes but was not evident in her voice.

However, Ron noticed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes!" said Hermione, composing herself.

"Okay... so about Harry... I think I might know the person."

"Who?"

"They're in the Burrow at this very moment."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"They might deny it though," Ron continued, "I don't know if that person still likes him, but it's worth a shot."

Hermione's eyes held utter disbelief. "Oh my... _you_ love Harry?!?"

Ron shook his head at her. 'And she's supposed to be valedictorian of our graduating class?' he thought.

"NO! _Ginny_ might!"

Hermione laughed at this. "She said she used to, but that she's over him now."

Ron watched his frizzy-haired friend turn and leave.

'Valedictorian my arse.'

* * *

"_Boy, aren't you tired of this? Simply give me the information I need and you'll be free to go."_

_Harry had long since accepted the fact that he would most likely die where he sat. Therefore, he got in the habit of insulting Voldemort._

"_I'm supposed to believe that? Tom, you insult me."_

"_NEVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!"_

"_My mistake, Riddle."_

"_I'LL KILL YOU!"_

"_You wouldn't! After all, who else can give you information on secret Order plans?"_

_Harry knew he was just killing time. More so, waiting for the time for Voldemort to kill him. _

_But after all, he was the Boy-Who-Lived. He couldn't physically fight, but Harry gave himself credit for the verbal part._

"_CRUCIO!"_

* * *

Ginevra Molly Weasley wiped her eyes groggily as she sat up in her bed. 'Judging by the looks of things, Hermione's probably downstairs, snogging my brother.'

She laughed out loud. 'That would be the day.'

Ginny decided that it would be better if she didn't leave her room for a while. She wasn't quite ready to face the _Bestia Ferra _spell. Mostly, she wasn't ready to think about Harry.

'You're a selfish prat! Harry could be getting himself killed and you want to stay in bed?' she thought.

''This is sad. I'm arguing with myself and I lost.'' Ginny muttered aloud.

* * *

Ginny crept out of her bed and lazily walked downstairs. The silence threw her aback for a moment but then she recalled the fact that no one was home. Well, no one except Ron and Hermione.

Coincidentally, Hermione swept into the room a few minutes after Ginny had left. Hermione had been too caught up in her own thoughts to even notice Ginny.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

"_Hermione! You can't just leave!" He said, grabbing her arm._

"_Then stop suggesting we use Ginny for the spell. Even last night she told me she didn't want to think about..." Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth._

"_About..." Ron prodded._

"..._about what happened in the muggle neighborhood," she lied._

"_AMY! I wonder if she's alright."_

"_I'm sure she's fine! But your best friend isn't. He's dealing with You-Know-Who!"_

"_But if You-Know-Who saw Amy..."_

_Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you excuse me, I'm going to go speak to Ginny." She turned to look at Ron. He was lost in thought._

"_I'm leaving!" Hermione repeated, hoping to grab his attention. He simply waved her off. _

_With tears beginning to well up in her eyes, Hermione stormed out of the room to finish research on the _Bestia Ferra_ spell._

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

Ginny found her brother in the living room with a puzzled expression on his face; as though he was trying to figure something out. She was about to ask for more information but the sound of a door slamming upstairs warned her not to.

* * *

_A/N I hope that wasn't too much of a disappointment. I've added on to my profile. In case any one was interested. There was something I had to say but I forgot. I know it had something to do with a really cool contest though... thinks_

**_Ki-ki93- No need to resort to violence. back away slowly I'm just kidding. Hope this was fast enough for you! I've been really busy, but I did this for you! YAY!_**

**_fuzzy wuzzy slipperzzz- "Why thank you for that assessment." (- Chamber of Secrets) LOL! Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

**_sballLuvr5- I know! Poor Harry! Never fear! The NICE plot bunny's here!_**

**_flower-child-truth- I'll try! It is exciting! Just not really for me because I know how it ends... but thanks for sticking with me this far! Snaps for flower-child-truth!_**

**_HermioneRon 4ever- YAY! Thanks for reading my chapter and not caring its short! It's people like you that make a fan-fic writer's like a lot easier. LOL! _**

**_BrodyLuverGirl- Good guess! You were half-right! It turns out the plot bunny has a different idea... LOL! You're another one of my faithful reviewers. THANKS!_**

**_akf123- Thanks for replying so quick! I didn't know people cared about my story so much! Hope you liked this chappie just as much!_**

**_Kay89- I totally agree! But we all have those days that seem to take forever to end... LOL! I;m glad you liked the last one and I hope you like this one just as much! _**


	16. Happenstance and Guardian Angels: Day 5B

Chapter 16- Day 5B

_A/N Thank you to all the fabulous reviews I got from you!! You have no idea how good it feels to come back home after standing outside in 100 degrees for marching band practice. From the looks of things, this is day is off to a slow start. Can you believe I intended this to be 7 chapters? One for each day. Oh, well. _

_Disclaimer sigh No, I don't own Harry Potter...J K Rowling... yeah..._

_**Dedicated to flower-child-truth**_

* * *

Hermione flung herself on the make-shift bed set up in Ginny's room. Apparently, Ginny had vacated the room a few minutes ago.

"Oh that Ronald Weasley can be such a prat some times! But..."

"Was I supposed to hear that?" asked a curious Ginny who was now poking her head through the door.

"Actually, no, but since you did, no harm done I suppose. At least you stopped me before I said something I would have regretted."

This last statement seemed to grab Ginny's attention as she walked into the room and plopped herself down on her respective bed. "And what would that have been, Miss Granger?" Asked Ginny, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I don't suppose you actually want me to tell you?" Hermione said as she stared at Ginny like she was mad.

"You _should_ be able to tell me. That is, if you're not thinking about my _brother_," said Ginny who was now smirking at her bushy-haired friend.

"As a matter of fact, I was not entertaining thoughts about your brother."

Ginny nodded but her eyes betrayed her.

"GINNY WEASLEY! You don't believe me, do you?" shouted Hermione, hurling a pillow at her friend.

"Why, whatever gave you that idea?" Ginny replied, faking innocence.

"Well, despite the fact that you still look incredibly smug..." However, Hermione did not get to finish her sentence for Ginny chose this exact moment to return the pillow to its owner.

The pillow missed Hermione and knocked over the book which contained the _Bestia Ferra _spell. Coincidentally, the bookmark graciously fluttered out and perched itself at the end of Hermione's bed as the book continued it's descent to earth. The girls were frozen, horrorstruck. After all, it was the book of 1001 spells... how were they supposed to locate the _Bestia Ferra_?

Ginny was the first to recover from her trance and dived in order to catch the book. Her fingers scraped the edge but the book crashed violently against the ground scattering papers in every direction.

Ginny picked up the book and took it over to her bed. "Do you remember the spell number?"

Hermione looked at the ground ruefully. "Well... not quite..."

Ginny sighed and pulled open the book. Ginny's mouth fell open and Hermione came over to see what Ginny was gawking at.

2 pairs of eyes stood transfixed to the page where in big, black letters the words, Bestia Ferra were.

Ginny let out a nervous chuckle. "How funny."

Hermione however, was working out a thought in her head. "I still don't understand, Gin. How is it possible out of all 1001 pages, you managed to open up to the exact page we needed. The exact page _Harry _needed.

Ginny looked at the book. She wasn't especially fond of Hermione's word choice. "Happenstance?" she muttered weakly.

"I think you might just be his guardian angel Ginevra Molly Weasley," said Hermione, laughing.

Ginny joined in but silently added, _'Or I might still be Ron's little sister_.' She was sure she and Harry had gotten past that stage but after all, this was _Harry Potter_. No one could blame Ginny for her insecurities, "Could they blame _me_?" Ginny thought out loud.

Hermione looked at Ginny, the surprise evident in her eyes.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Ginny? Did you hear a word I said?"

Ginny shook her head no.

Hermione burst out laughing. "What I had said was, I wonder who should be blamed if Harry's kids end up with the Marauder's Map and wreak havoc about the school. That's when you said they could blame you. Why would they blame you, Gin?"

"But why did you say that, Hermione? That's completely irrelevant."

"I was lightening the mood considering you seemed rather pale."

Ginny's hands immediately flew up to her face.

"You're okay now. Maybe a slight tint of pink but..."

Ginny picked up a pillow to throw at her friend but decided against it. However, she found her mind quickly wandering.

_Ginny looked at the book. She wasn't especially fond of Hermione's word choice. "Happenstance?" she muttered weakly._

Ginny found herself doubting her previous theory. Of course she hadn't meant to, but this was a rather strange...

"_I think you might just be his guardian angel Ginevra Molly Weasley,"_

Ginny was so lost in her thoughts, she was sure nothing could withdraw her from her reverie. However, a small bit of parchment fluttering down from Hermione's pocket caught her attention.

"Hermione, what's that?" asked Ginny, indicating the bit of paper.

"Something Dumbledore gave Ron and me. I'll read it later. Let me go to some last minute research on the _Bestia Ferra _spell. I'm hoping to be able to cast it tonight or tomorrow morning. We simply need to go to Diagon Alley which should be easy. The hard part is finding that fifth person."

Ginny simply nodded her head in agreement and watched Hermione pick up the scattered bits of parchment and leave the room. She still wouldn't volunteer to be the fifth person.

'Some guardian angel I'm turning out to be.' thought Ginny ruefully as she fell backwards upon her bed and enjoyed the view from her window. In the distance, she could hear her brother and Hermione arguing but all of it seemed far away as she slowly drifted into a mid-morning slumber.

* * *

"RON WEASLEY! I ASKED POLITELY IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CLEAR THE DESK!" yelled Hermione who was now rather red in the face from so much shouting.

"AND I POLITELY CLEARED IT!"

"YOU POLITELY CLEANED IT OUT INTO THE HALLWAY!"

"IT'S NOT ME WE SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON, IT'S HARRY AND HERE YOU ARE SAYING HOW YOU FEEL SO BAD ABOUT BREAKING UP WITH _VICKY!_"

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT! I BET YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT LEAVING AMY!"

Ron faltered for a moment. "I DIDN'T LEAVE HER!"

"WELL YOU CERTAINLY DIDN'T BRING HER HERE!"

"I MEANT TO BUT I GUESS I BROUGHT THE WRONG GIRL!" Ron instantly regretted his words when he saw the pain they had induced upon Hermione. "'Mione, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Hermione turned to leave but he grabbed her arm.

"Ron, let me go. I'm going to go get the stuff and take it to Gin's room."

"'Mione, please just hear me out."

Hermione finally turned to face him. "I have to go."

This time Ron blocked the doorway.

"Ron, please move."

"You have to just listen."

"NO! You've insulted me for the last time. I should have known..."

However, Hermione didn't get to finish this statement for Ron had every so gently kissed her.

"I am really sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

"For what?"

"For believing this can work. I... well... everything is all fine now but what about tomorrow. You can't guarantee we won't be fighting and in this day and age, you can't guarantee we'll be alive. But I... " Hermione never got to say she enjoyed the kiss.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for kissing you."

Hermione was now angry and hurt. "I would never have in a million years told you I was sorry for that, In fact, I was anything BUT sorry."

"'Mione... I thought..."

Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I meant to take a step forward but I ended up taking two steps back."

Hermione met his gaze with hers. "Maybe if you just step aside, we can stop doing this little dance."

Ron took a step to the side and watched Hermione leave. He knew she wasn't truly leaving; she would be right next door. But for all practical purposes, Ron had officially lost Hermione Granger.

* * *

_Disclaimer "I meant to take one step forward... we can stop doing this little dance." Quote credited to Uptown Girls. I didn't get many reviews for Chapter 15. Was it really that bad? I hope this one is better if that's the case... Hope you guys liked this one! School starts in 2 days. And sadly, I do not go to Hogwarts. Or do I?_

**Special thanks to sballLuvr5 and bluechocobo for reviewing!!**

_Tabytha_


	17. Trials and Tribulations: Day 5C

Chapter 17- Day 5C

_A/N Sorry it took a while. I started school on Wednesday. Believe it or not, I already have 2 hours worth of homework, practice for 3 hours, and more stuff to do. sigh I write the stories on notebook paper during study hall or whenever I feel like it. Mostly geometry which I shouldn't be doing because it's been 8 days into school and I already don't get what we're doing. Oh, well. Sorry about my ramblings and enjoy the chapter!_

_Beta's Note: I vote geometry should be banished from the earth...all in favor?_

_A/N- OH! I am soooooooo in favor. LOL!_

_Disclaimer Numbers by quotes are credited at bottom. Don't sue me. I don't own Harry Potter, JK does and I don't own these quotes. Other people do._

_**Dedicated to- BrodyLoverGirl**_

* * *

Ginny was jarred awake from her fitful sleep by the sound of a door slamming and books being slammed against a desk.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked Ginny as she went over and sat next to Hermione on the make-shift bed.

"Nothing," replied Hermione.

"Well, it doesn't seem like nothing. If it is, I would hate for nothing to bother me. Please tell me," coaxed Ginny.

"I really don't want to talk about it Ginny."

"Let your friends honor be as dear to you as your own,"(1) muttered Ginny.

"Thanks Ginny."

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes fell and she turned to Ginny, ready to talk.

* * *

Ron banged his head against the wall and collapsed onto the bed.

'_You bloody stupid git. Why did you apologize?!'_

"I didn't know what she thought," replied Ron.

'_So it was a matter of pride?'_ asked Ron's conscience.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to think about it."

"_I would stop talking out loud if I were you, you daft git. You're the only one who can hear me. Besides, there are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think.'_ (2)

"I'll talk out loud if that's what I feel like doing!" Ron shouted. "Besides, I don't deserve someone like her," Ron muttered almost inaudibly.

'_The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward a great good. (3) Go talk to her.'_

"Bloody... you... how'd you get so wise"

'_Not sure, mate but the achievement of your goal is assured the moment of the minute you commit yourself to it.' _(4)

"Hermione is not just some prize! She's... she's..."

* * *

"Okay, Gin. But I still won't go," said Hermione, folding her arms defiantly across her chest.

"Hermione, you're acting like a 2-year-old."

"Ginny, not to be rude, but it wasn't me who did something wrong."

Ginny threw her arms into the air in defeat. "But you _have_ to get this argument over quickly because... Harry... _Bestia Ferra..."_

"Ginny, we can do the spell as soon as... some one who..."

"I know! As soon as you find someone who loves Harry." Suddenly, Ginny became uneasy. "Harry might not have time to wait."

"I know but... if the spell backfires, all involved risk serious injury or..."

"Or..." prodded Ginny.

"Or death."

Ginny gulped. "I'll volunteer," she said quietly.

"Thanks, Gin, but I told you. We need someone who..."

"I KNOW!"

Hermione looked at her friend with new-found understanding. "Okay, as soon as the rest get here which should be any moment now."

"But first, you have to go make amends with my brother. I highly doubt you would want to do that in front of Fred and George."

Hermione gave in this time. She stood up on legs that were all but strong and headed towards the door.

"Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor," said Ginny in a sing-song voice as Hermione closed the door behind her.

Once alone, Ginny contemplated the decision she had just made. 'If this works...' but Ginny didn't want to think about that. For if it worked, it meant she still loved Harry.

* * *

Hermione walked into Ron's room as quietly as she could.

Ron seemed to be uttering something whilst facing the opposite wall.

She was about to make joke when all of a sudden, the words became clear.

"She more than just a prize! She's... she's..."

Hermione was frozen to her spot. There was only one "she" he could be talking about... Amy.

"She's amazing. Bloody talented in fact. She's... I don't know... she makes me feel like the best, strongest, smartest guy in the world but a bit like making me feel like I'm not worth a sickle."

Ron chose that unfortunate moment to turn around. Upon seeing her, his eyes held utter shock and a bit of fear.

"You... you heard that?"

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth, hot tears springing to her eyes.

"And...?" prodded Ron.

'I can't believe the prat's actually asking me this,' Hermione thought to herself.

"Hermione?" asked Ron, his stomach tying in knots over and over again.

"I don't know why you would ask my opinion," replied Hermione almost bitterly.

"Well, I value your..."

"Shut it, you insensitive git."

Ron was taken aback by Hermione's sudden anger. "'Mione, I don't under..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"But, 'Mio... _Her_mione, I was saying you..."

But it was too late. Hermione had stormed out of the room and had slammed the door behind her.

'And _that_'s why I apologized. I knew a girl like her could never like a worthless git like me...'

* * *

_So... what did you think? I have an idea! Help "What Times May Bring" get over 100 reviews (total) by the twentieth chapter and I have a surprise for everyone! As for my reviewing to reviewers policy, "nobody gets left behind or forgotten" LOL! I think Stitch is cute so... _

_1 Anonymous_

_2 Ayn Byrd_

_3 Brian Tracy_

_4 Unknown (by me that is)_

**_BrodyLuverGirl- You're forgiven. LOL! Don't worry; I know what it's like to have an evil computer. Meet my evil computer, Bellatrix. Hope you liked this one!_**

**_sballLuvr5- It's not over between them. I could never write that! LOL! Then again, I could never write Sirius getting killed..._**

**_Kay89- I know, the first kiss and... well... it didn't turn out so well. Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. LOL!_**

**_akf123- Thanks! Sorry I couldn't update sooner. I was in school... but I was writing the whole time! Well, almost. Does that count for something? LOL!_**

**_bluechocobo- Okay, so you didn't necessarily review Chapter 16 but you reviewed and that's all that mattered! Yay for bluechocobo!! _**

I know I got more reviews... but I wrote this before and I don't have time now to go and add in people. I promise those people get an extra long... er... thanks in the next chapter.


End file.
